2026/27 CIF Girls Soccer NorCal Preseason Top 10, V2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top-Level, Nationally ranked teams, and USYNT players are ready for another year of prep soccer.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>USE THE PROMO CODE almasin30 for a discount on your first subscription</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Winter 2026-2027 high school soccer season is merely a couple of months away.&nbsp; Top-tier teams are hoping their 2028s are making their commitments soon or have already locked in their college pick.&nbsp; Many coaches, even myself, will have a sigh of relief as the players get to choose whether they will do one or even two more years to compete and put their future college careers on the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although most club coaches would rather the players sit out, even if they have already made their commitments, some take it upon themselves to play their last or final two seasons with their best friends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Given the opportunity to rest and prepare for their next level of their soccer journey, some feel the need to take the leap of faith and commit themselves to the ups and downs of high school soccer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with the risk of injuries, they know that they could also elevate their status through exposure and recognition.&nbsp; Who knows, this group of 2028's and 2029's from the NorCal region has some of the best players in the state as well as in the nation.&nbsp; I will also add a few 2027s who are locked in and ready for the collegiate levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this section, I will be highlighting the Buchanan Bears (25-2-1 overall and 10-0 for 1st place in league) and some of their returning players as my 3rd-ranked team and also Cardinal Newman Cardinal (15-2-4 overall and 9-0-1 for 1st in league), who I picked as the 4th-ranked team.&nbsp; Last season, the Bears ended their season ranked #15 in CA and #67 in the nation.&nbsp; The Cardinals were the #22 ranked team in CA and the #90 ranked team in the nation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Buchanan will return a core group of highly rated club players, primarily players from last season's historic run in the NorCal Finals. They beat Carondelet, another top ten-ranked team, in a close match, 1-0. They ended their playoff run to the undefeated Bishop O'Dowd team, the 5th-ranked team on my list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cardinal Newman had a strong run in the NorCals as they won st. Ignatius in round 1, but lost a close match to the eventual Division II State Champions, San Ramon Valley Wolves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Standout Players: Buchanan - Ranked #3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='268401' first='Alyssa' last='Beltran'] - 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='380128' first='Teagan' last='Labandeira'] - 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexa Garza - 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='270098' first='Macie' last='Lomeli'] - 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sofia Falcon - 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Standout Players: Cardinal Newman - Ranked #4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='111109' first='Nina' last='Khoury'] - 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='111113' first='Isabella' last='Rendino'] - 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clover Chavez - 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='383757' first='Brynn' last='Deberardinis'] - 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sammie Fuller - 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Rankings - 2026-2027&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1. Saint Francis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2. San Ramon Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3. Buchanan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4. Cardinal Newman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5. Bishop O'Dowd</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>6. Archbishop Mitty</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>7. Los Gatos</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>8. Carondelet</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>9. Vista Del Lago</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>10. St. Ignatius</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>—-</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>11. Amador Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>12. Salinas</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Spotlight: Buchanan returning Standouts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["268401"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":411953,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab74b79447fc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">She was selected to the Girls Academy National Talent ID Pool as the first Crossfire player to achieve this feat.&nbsp; She is a two-way player who can make an impact on both ends of the pitch.&nbsp; Mainly as an attacking-mid, she created plays and hit deep passes to runners in the attacking third.&nbsp; As a defender, she can make big stops and lock down the defense.&nbsp; Her team only gave up 14 goals in 28 matches last season. Alyssa is a Fresno State commit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["380128"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":411954,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab74b7944852"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">She's a certified goal scorer with 23 goals and 5 assists last season while playing in 23 matches.&nbsp; While leading her team in scoring during their undefeated regular season, her decisive 5th penalty kick sent their team to the CIF NorCal Division 1 Championship match.&nbsp; Aside from being a clutch soccer player, Teagan is a multi-sport athlete who also excels in track and field as an elite-level sprinter. Teagan is a Fresno State commit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["270098"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab74b7944885"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">She was called up to the U.S. Soccer U14 Girls National Talent Identification Camp and is in the USYNT player pool.&nbsp; Last season, she had moments in which she took control of the game and had dominating performances. She is precise, tactical, technical, and fluid. Her style of play creates efficiency on defense as she anticipates the angles of attack and quickly transitions to offensive runs with quick and clean passes usually seen in players one to two years up. Macie played in 21 matches as a freshman, while scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists.&nbsp; The TRAC Player of the Year helped her team to a deep CCS Division 1 finals as well as helped her team to a NorCal Regional Final against Bishop O'Dowd.&nbsp; I'm definitely getting out to one of their matches in the upcoming season as well as one during club play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":411956,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Sofia Falcon","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Buchanan","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='283257' first='Bay' last='Area Surf']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab74b7944901"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">She was a standout freshman, receiving the team's Coaches' Award.&nbsp; She plays for [program_tooltip program_id='283257' first='Bay' last='Area Surf'] 11G, one of the elite clubs in the nation.&nbsp; Last season she played in 14 matches and provided 2 assists.&nbsp; Sofia uses quick transitional moves to get by her opponents while using cut-backs and pivoting moves.&nbsp; Her ability to make transitional runs helped her to get a game-winning goal in club play to help her team to a national title.&nbsp; She is an up-and-coming player who should get looks during the upcoming high school and club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":411955,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Alexa Garza","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Buchanan","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='287835' first='Clovis' last='Crossfire']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab74b7944960"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">All-Conference Second Team and received a team Coaches' Award.&nbsp; She made the varsity team as a freshman.&nbsp; Played in 14 games last season and tallied 2 goals.&nbsp; She mainly plays as a center-back, who is known for cutting off passing lanes and anchoring the defense.&nbsp; Her ability to remain calm under pressure is one of her strengths, as her defense only gave up 14 goals in 28 matches. Alexa has two older siblings, Marissa Garza, who plays at Fresno State, and Makayla Garza at CSU East Bay.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cardinal Newman Soccer Highlights - </strong>At Carondelet</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2025406397870211436?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/2025406397870211436?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cardinal Newman Soccer Highlights - </strong>At Dublin - NCS Match</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1893338187847868913?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1893338187847868913?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Buchanan Soccer Highlights - </strong>Olivia Rea, Taryn Smith, [player_tooltip player_id='380128' first='Teagan' last='Labandeira'] of Buchanan Girls Soccer on Win Over Bakersfield Liberty</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-A7CQoK2FA","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-A7CQoK2FA </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next up will be the SoCal Top 10 Teams list, featuring the #1 and #2 teams. Followed by the NorCal Top 10 - Part 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->