Teams, Players to watch from the Tri-County Athletic League

The Tri-County Athletic League is a unique blend of teams and athletes from a very diverse area of West Contra Costa County. There are two divisions within the league, the Rock and the Stone, with very few constants in terms of what teams are aligned where and which teams will be in contention. There is one constant, and that's the Richmond boys soccer team, which will be discussed.   BOYS   De Anza   The De Anza boys are off to a nice start this season, undefeated in their first four with two wins. It is a young group still, after being very young last year and having some ups and downs. They are mostly underclassmen, but should compete for the TCAL Stone title and reach the North Coast Section playoffs.   Emilio Guzman, Sophomore, Midfielder   Guzman is a very composed midfielder with a very high soccer IQ. Beyond understanding the game, and being calm on the ball, he has a lot of technical ability.   Princeton Nvchao, Junior, Defender   Nvchao is a threat on both sides of the ball. He's a solid defender and a team leader in the back, but he is also very fast and very versatile, allowing him to contribute all over the pitch.   Alex Royce, Senior, Keeper   One of the few seniors on the team, Royce does what you like to see your keeper do and that is communicate with his defenders. He is also very brave when coming out for balls in the air and distributes the ball well.   Alex Sarabia, Junior, Defender   Sarabia is another leader in the back line as he is not afraid to be a vocal leader for the Dons. He also reads the game very well, and is very good in the air.   Pinole Valley   The Spartans are off to a nice 4-1 start, and are looking much better than last year and could be a factor in the Stone division.   They return five key players, starting with Aneiss Abdellaoui, a four-year varsity player and holding midfielder. They return two key defenders in Manrique Molina and Raul Alvarez as well as Jose Gil, a four-year varsity central midfielder and Mohammed Najji, a three-year midfielder.   Richmond   The Oilers are one of the top teams in Northern California, year in and year out, and are the crown jewel of the TCAL in terms of soccer. They have won the Rock Division every year of its existence and are respected as one of the model programs in NCS.   Richmond lost five starters to graduation, but still returns a bunch of players who made an impact a season ago. And it starts with Kevin Romo, a senior who plays in the midfield and as a forward. He is very creative, and he impacts the game greatly and can change a game in a flash. He was the Cal-Hi Sports player of the year last season.   He's joined in the attack by two junior forwards in Fernando Villanueva, who is a great goal scorer as well as Ivan Campos, a very fast and technical winger. Ismael Garcia, a sophomore, is an incoming forward who is good at putting the ball in the net.   Returning in the midfield are two very talented sophomore in Andres Araujo and Rafael Olivarez. Araujo is a very gifted player, technically and physically. He's very creative and made a big impact as a freshman last season. Olivarez is a very technical midfielder who can make an impact. Gio Daiz-Vilchez is a freshman midfielder who is very smart, technical and can control the game.   Richmond has two key defenders returning in seniors Johnny Huizar and Guillermo Cabral. Huizar plays centrally and is the leader in the back while Cabral, who can also play in the midfield, is calm, technical, creative and also had leadership qualities. There are two new senior defenders joining the team in Jaime Frias, a calm and composed center back along with Nilson Sosa who is strong and impactful.   Between the posts is junior keeper Diego Albarran who has greatly improved and is a good leader. The Oilers have an incoming sophomore keeper in Yuber Castaneda who can be a game-changing keeper.   The Oilers have a bunch of impactful players, will be the front-runner to win the league and should be considered a favorite to get back to the NCS championship game.   GIRLS   Albany   The Cougar girls should make a run at winning the TCAL Rock this year as they have 14 returning players and six talented freshman giving them a very talented team that should challenge for a league title.   Albany returns four incredibly talented players that will take them as far as they will go.   Carolina Alanis, Sophomore, Forward/Midfielder   Alanis can play as a center forward or as an attacking midfielder. She is such a talented player. She is incredibly technical, athletic and physical and can shoot with both feet. She is a player that is a handful for opposing defenses.   Alice Brashares, Sophomore, Defender   Brashares is versatile as she can play central or outside back. She is very fast and physical, and is very technical. She reads the game very well, she is a great communicator making her a great leader on the pitch.   Kathleen Byambasuren, Senior, Attacking Midfielder   Byambasuren is one of those technical and smooth number 10's who is quick on the ball, is an excellent dribbler and can score from distance. She also makes very smart decisions.   Jimena Plascencia, Senior, Central Defender   Plascencia is a very physical center back, a very good team later and is technical to where she can come out from the back and help in the attack.   St. Mary's   Allena Collins returns for the Panthers, a senior who plays center back and is a commit to the University of Saint Mary, an NAIA school in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. She has been a great four-year player for St. Mary's High. She makes incredible plays as a defender and always has a positive outlook. She is a consummate teammate for the Panthers.   Vanessa De Loa, a junior, joins Allena in central defense and they work very well together. They are hard to score on because of how they coordinate and how strong they are.   Laila Lafontaine, a returning sophomore, has continued to show impressive foot skills and plays great defense as an outside back. Tallulah Alatorre, another returning sophomore, is an attacking midfielder with power, speed and has great ball skills.   The Panthers should be a force in the TCAL Rock and will be in the running for a league title.

The Tri-County Athletic League is a unique blend of teams and athletes from a very diverse area of West Contra Costa County. There are two divisions within the league, the Rock and the Stone, with very few constants in terms of what teams are aligned where and which teams will be in contention. There is one constant, and that's the Richmond boys soccer team, which will be discussed.