Article 100 – One of the top teams/coaches in the nation

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>USE THE PROMO CODE almasin30 for a discount on your first subscription</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>– Saint Francis Girls Soccer and Coach Carlos Barboza</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The high school winter soccer season is right around the corner, and with this being my 100th article, it is with great pleasure to have this article feature one of the best teams in the nation and a coach who is about to reach a milestone of his own. This top-level program is the Saint Francis Lancers of Mountain View, CA, and their coach is none other than Carlos Barboza. In his 4th full season at the helm, his teams have been “nothing short of spectacular.” As the saying goes, records don't lie; in the 4 full seasons in which Coach Barboza led this program, they've achieved a super impressive record of 81-7-8. He is at 81 wins, and a minimum of 19 wins will get him to 100.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1969397723402289285","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1969397723402289285 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Once Coach Barboza agreed to be part of the article/interview, I asked him to share some of his team's accomplishments from the past few years and to highlight some goals he has for his team during the upcoming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Coach Barboza -</strong> “Here are some of the Saint Francis girls' soccer program success over the past few years:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've won two trebles in the last three seasons. The team has captured the top division CCS title three years in a row and secured the WCAL championship for five consecutive years.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Looking ahead, our goals for this season are to win WCAL, CCS, and the NorCal title, as well as to compete in the first-ever NorCal vs. SoCal state championship.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024-2025 season was a near-perfect season for the Lancers as they won the treble by coming in 1st in league play (8-2), winning the CCS (Central Coast Section) Division I title, and winning the NorCal Division I title. This would be the second time the Lancers won the treble, as they won the inaugural 2022-2023 NorCal tournament. Some of the other accomplishments of the Coach Barboza era include a third straight CCS Division I title against another top-ranked team in NorCal, the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs. I was fortunate to have been able to cover one of the matches during the regular season and during the CCS Division I title match. The Lancers won both matches by the closest of margins, and during the NorCal championships, I was told it was the same as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My next question to Coach Barboza was to let me know of 6-8 key players who he will be leaning on this season. I probably should have left it an open-ended question as to not put a cap on it, as his team is loaded with top-level talent, but here is his response.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Coach Barboza -&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Top players: In goal, we are fortunate to have two exceptional sophomores, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111087' first='Anneliese' last='Braun']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111094' first='Sophia' last='Malloy']</strong>, providing strong depth and reliability.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our back line will be anchored by <strong>Caitlin Motil</strong> (Senior), who will serve as team captain this season. Alongside her, juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111126' first='Mehr' last='Khera']</strong> and <strong>Emmy Salita</strong> bring tremendous experience—both having started on varsity since their freshman year—as well as versatility and composure in and out of possession.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The midfield is full of talent and balance. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111184' first='Sophie' last='McCarthy']</strong> (Junior) serves as the engine in the holding midfield role, while our two attacking midfielders, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='20049' first='Penelope' last='Correa']</strong> (Senior) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='146360' first='Miliani' last='Makasini']</strong> (Junior), are highly technical and creative players who will drive our attack.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is great to hear that these exceptional players are returning to give their team a chance to make another run at a treble, but also the new format in which a California champion will be ultimately crowned “makes the stakes a lot higher.” For most coaches, this feat might not be something to be considered, but if I had to pick a coach and team to be capable of such an amazing feat, it would be Coach and his Lancers team as well as Coach John “J.T.” Hanley and his Monarchs. The Monarchs won the NorCal Division I title during the 2023-2024 season. I am so fortunate to be able to see some of the best players in the country compete on both sides but also to be able to witness two of the most successful coaches in high school soccer compete in the Bay Area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111087' first='Anneliese' last='Braun'] and [player_tooltip player_id='111094' first='Sophia' last='Malloy'] - Dynamic Duo - Top Level Goalkeepers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1943029810101449057","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1943029810101449057 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Caitlin Motil - Midfield - 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1888373413032661401","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1888373413032661401 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Penelope Mason Correa - Midfield 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1893448526601805868","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1893448526601805868 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emmy Salita - Defender/Mid - 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885777504386113752","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1885777504386113752 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In closing, Coach Barboza won the Prep Soccer Coach of the Year Award during his 2022-2023 campaign; I would definitely vote for him on the next ballot. He always seems to be “calm, composed, and calculative.” His calm demeanor sets the tone for his team to handle the emotional pressures of playing in the biggest games, and his focus-driven approach keeps his players' eyes on the PRIZE! I'm definitely looking forward to another season of elite-level players competing for their high schools, teammates, and coaches. Thanks, everyone, for being part of my soccer journey.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->