SoCal College Showcase puts talent on display, yet again
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The Southern California College Showcase, hosted at Chapman College and organized by Cathedral High, acts as the premier Showcase in the Western United States, and includes a wide swath of talented teams. Not just the hotbed of talent in Southern…
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Continue ReadingThe Southern California College Showcase, hosted at Chapman College and organized by Cathedral High, acts as the premier Showcase in the Western United States, and includes a wide swath of talented teams. Not just the hotbed of talent in Southern California, but teams from the Bay Area, Florida and Arizona were included to give college coaches, scouts and fans a great show after Christmas.
Bellarmine Prep
The Bells are a bonded unit that played very hard at the Showcase. They came out of the tournament without a win, despite just a -1 goal differential, falling to Cathedral 1-0 and then drawing with Loyola 1-1 and Brophy Prep 2-2. Nathan Villano and Diego Diaz-Pliego were standout performers for the Bells as Villano featured as a forward who was very active and was involved in most scoring opportunities. Meanwhile, Diaz-Pliego, a talented No. 6, showed how quickly he can transition from defense to offense.
Roman Fernandez was solid on the defensive line, Greg Gutierrez and Aidan Dempsey were dangerous in the attack while Maverick Hamer showed a lot of versatility in where he played and what he could do with the ball.
Brophy Prep
A young team, the Broncos gained a lot of experience in the Showcase, despite the results. They lost 4-1 to Servite, 3-1 to Orange Lutheran but had a draw against a good Bellarmine team to leave with a positive feeling. Carter Kappes was an impressive outside player, who transitioned well and showed his fitness in going box-to-box. Keeper Iain Lanphier was one of the top keepers over the three-day event, stopping many shots.
Edmond Vartughian proved to be a dangerous striker, showing that he could put away goals while Lucas Roland played very well in the No. 10 spot for Brophy.
Cathedral
Central defender Eddie De Leon was a standout for the Phantoms, as the captain was strong on the back line and was a leader. He did a great job of marking out the top scoring option for the teams they faced, but really thrives when he is moving around and supporting his teammates. Aaron Espana had a good showing with two assists and senior forward Esau Sullivan wreaked havoc with strong possession as a target striker. Sullivan holds the ball well, finds overlapping players quickly and applies pressure on defenders when the Phantoms are in a high block.
Cathedral started with a 1-0 win over Bellarmine, but then suffered two close losses to two very good teams, losing by the score of 2-1 to both Gulliver Prep and St. Augustine.
Sophomores Mauricio Parra-Martinez and Sebastian Tinoco both stepped up and earned more playing time as Parra-Martinez did a great job as an outside back while Tinoco was able to play as a No. 10 or as a No. 6.
De La Salle
The Spartans represented Northern California very well, especially in their first match, topping Loyola 3-0 in a comprehensive win. They lost the next two, but they were close games against excellent teams in Harvard-Westlake, a 2-1 loss, and the top team in the tournament, Gulliver Prep, a 3-1 defeat.
Ronan Rattigan and Matthew Rajecki Matthew Rajecki D CA stood out at the Showcase, showing the ability to attack and defend, in tandem. Rattigan is an attacking player who is talented with the ball at his feet and plays unselfishly, distributing the ball. Rajecki was solid at the No. 6 spot, winning many defensive battles and then having the awareness and skill to link up with the attacking players. Tre Roach was also a lot for opposing teams to deal with as well.
Jamison Clarke Jamison Clarke D De La Salle | 2024 CA and Charlie Sanner were excellent in defense as Clarke was a standout in 1v1 battles, with Sanner using his speed on the outside to transition back and forth quickly as he would defend well and offer great crosses into the box.
Carter McAffee had a good Showcase in goal, coming up with some big saves over the three matches.
Gulliver Prep
The Raiders had a perfect Showcase, going 3-0. They beat Harvard-Westlake 1-0, Cathedral 2-1 and De La Salle 3-1. They have a suffocating defense that does a great job of interrupting the passing lanes and they can constantly pressure the ball high, not allowing the opposing attack to get comfortable.
Taro Ochi was the maestro for the Raiders, as the attacking midfielder is very dynamic, very quick and makes great decisions. Ochi scored the match-winner against Harvard-Westlake. He drops perfectly weighted passes with accuracy. Cosme Salas plays the No. 9 spot and is very quick, has good size and is lethal on the attack. Tomas Sciarra, a midfielder, can take on defenders and beat them, and shoots from distance with pinpoint accuracy. Salas and Sciarra had the goals in the win over Cathedral, with Sciarra also nabbing an assist while Salas had a goal and two assists against De La Salle. Benjamin Quintana and Tomas Bellatin also had goals and Nicolas Pineros added an assist.
On defense, Jacob Lombard is a lockdown defender who has great skills and leadership. Henrique Ortega also stood out for his defensive efforts, while Dominic Pratt has kept 12 clean sheets this season and really stood out at this Showcase for his keeping prowess.
Harvard-Westlake
The Wolverines showed well at the Showcase, beating a very good De La Salle team 2-1, and losing by just a goal to very good teams in Gulliver Prep, 1-0, and Servite, 2-1. Theodore Ottosson stood out for Harvard-Westlake as the talented striker showed how talented he is with the ball at his feet, and that he can find overlapping teammates quickly and accurately. He also takes defenders on 1v1 very well.
Kevin Chen stood out at the No. 6 spot, displaying good intelligence and the ability to join the attack on the flank and make crosses with accuracy. James Federman led the defense, and as the senior captain, showed leadership. He was strong on the ground, taking up space in the attacking lanes, and winning balls in the air.
Race Serota and Spencer Casamassima were good defensively and led counterattacks, and freshman keeper Jackson Friedman Jackson Friedman 5'10" | GK Harvard Westlake | 2027 CA came up with several big saves.
Loyola
The Cubs had three very tough ties, facing De La Salle, Bellarmine and Orange Lutheran. They lost 3-0 to De La Salle, but were able to draw 1-1 with the other two teams. Will Hoshek, Peter Borges and Josh Gallagher really stood out for the Cubs. Hoshek and Borges are very solid defenders, and Hoshek, being a big target, loves to get forward on set pieces. Borges has an incredible work rate and can join in a counter attack because he has great speed. Gallagher, just a sophomore, is on his way to being a force at striker.
Charlie McMillan scored the goal against Bellarmine, scoring off a long throw from Aidan Nixon Aidan Nixon 6'0" | D Loyola | 2024 CA , and in the draw with Orange Lutheran, keeper Kai Campos had a dream-come-true moment, pushing up on a corner in the final minute to head home the equalizing goal, which you can see here. Campos is the son of former Mexican National Team keeper Jorge Campos.
Orange Lutheran
The Lancers almost had a perfect Showcase, nearly going 3-0 if it were not for a header in the last minute by Loyola keeper Kai Campos to salvage a draw. Despite that, it was an excellent display by Orange Lutheran, who beat a very good St. Augustine team 2-1 and then beat Brophy Prep 3-1.
Midfielders Xavier Alcantar and Hector Arellanes were absolute forces to be reckoned with. Alcantar has the ability to lead the charge from the No. 10 spot, as he can create by drawing, and beating defenders, and can crack shots from distance. He is great in transition and is excellent at winning the ball. Arellanes has a nose for goal and is very dangerous in the attack.
Mateo Ambriz led the Lancers defense, and is a tough, hard-nosed defender who can lock attackers down 1v1. Dillan Danks Dillan Danks GK CA proved to be one of the top keepers in the tournament, as he showed good leadership, good instincts and the ability to stop shots. He also makes good decisions when distributing.
Servite
The Friars went 2-1 over the weekend, topping Brophy Prep 4-1, Harvard-Westlake 2-1, but fell to St. Augustine 3-1. This is a team that can score goals in bunches, and has a lot of talent. Attacking midfielder Freddy Mora was in control while fellow midfielder Justin Cuevas was a force to be reckoned with. Mora is a crafty No. 10 who can hold the ball long enough to find an overlapping wide player or a runner through the middle. He also has a cracking shot from distance. Cuevas was excellent at making those runs, stretching the defense to create more space and more lanes to pass in. Once Cuevas receives the ball, he is very good at getting into a position to shoot.
Talin Morgan had eight saves for the Showcase, while Cuevas and Mora scored two goals each in the win over Brophy. Cuevas had an assist against Harvard-Westlake. Nicholas Nodarse Nicholas Nodarse M CA had a goal and an assist during the Showcase, while Mattias Kremer Mattias Kremer M Servite | 2025 CA had an assist.
St. Augustine
The Saints like to play fast and aggressive on the attack, while defensively playing in a low or mid block defense. They have talented players that can maintain the defensive discipline required to do that, and the prowess to push forward. They dropped a 2-1 match to Orange Lutheran in their opener, but the Saints bounced back to beat Servite 3-1 and Cathedral 2-1.
Nico Zarur and Tabo Ybarra were very key players in the attack. Zarur played out wide, or in the No. 10 spot, showing craftiness and quickness with the ball at his feet. He delivers an accurate ball and can shred defenses with through balls that find the feet of teammates. Ybarra is Zarur’s running mate, so to speak, as he finds himself on the end of those balls quite often. He is quick when he makes his runs and finishes well.
Emiliano Postlewaite and Gus Velez Gus Velez F CA were key defensively for St. Augustine. Postlewaite is the team leader of the defense, and the team. He is very calm, and he is smooth out of the back. When he’s aggressive, he’s intelligently so. He can really break up an attack, clean the ball up well and start the counterattack. Velez likes to get forward when the attack builds up. He has good height, and finishes well with his head. Defensively he is very disciplined.
All-Showcase Team
Cosme Salas, Gulliver Prep
Tomas Sciarra, Gulliver Prep
Xavier Alcantar, Orange Lutheran
Ethan Phillips Ethan Phillips M CA , Orange Lutheran
Nico Zarur, St. Augustine
Justin Cuevas, Servite
James Federman, Harvard-Westlake
Eddie De Leon, Cathedral
Tre Roach, De La Salle
Diego Diaz-Pliego, Bellarmine Prep
Aidan Nixon Aidan Nixon 6'0" | D Loyola | 2024 CA , Loyola