Winter All-America Watch List: The first 10

The winter season is under way in the Southeast, and the Southwest states of Arizona and California start play this week. Each Wednesday throughout December and January, we will add an additional 10 or more players to the PrepSoccer.net Winter All-America Watch List. Here’s our original 10 to start the season: <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">GK [player_tooltip player_id="7208" first="Caden" last="Arlasky"], Aliso Niguel (Calif.), Sr.</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Arlasky returns after leading Aliso Niguel to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 title last spring. The 6-foot-4 keeper was named the CIF Southern Section Division 2 Player of the Year. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNgqZRTvCpo">See highlights.</a></span></span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">F [player_tooltip player_id="15775" first="Alex" last="Bethke"], Lake Travis (Texas), Sr.</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Led Lake Travis to a 23-1-4 season in 2021. Bethke scored a school-record 36 goals and added 17 assists for the team that finished No. 2 in last winter’s FAB 50. He was the Austin American-Statesman All-Centex Player of the Year. </span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">D [player_tooltip player_id="10161" first="Marc" last="Chin"], Montverde Academy (Fla.), Sr., Syracuse</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Chin has played a key role in a defense that has not allowed a goal in the first three regular-season matches.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">M [player_tooltip player_id="7397" first="David" last="Diaz"], Birmingham (Calif.), Sr.</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Diaz was the Daily News Player of the Year last season, leading Birmingham to an 18-1-1 season, the LA City title and a SoCal Regional runner-up finish. Diaz had 22 goals and 16 assists.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">M [player_tooltip player_id="36864" first="Connor" last="Dunnigan"], St. Andrew’s (Miss.), Jr.</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Dunnigan was named a Mississippi Clarion Ledger Player of the Year candidate as a sophomore last year while leading St. Andrew’s to a state title. Dunnigan finished with 19 goals and 16 assists.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">D [player_tooltip player_id="7106" first="Ashton" last="Miles"], Orange Lutheran (Calif.), Sr., UCLA</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Miles might be one of the more “under-the-radar” players in Southern California. Despite committing to UCLA, his high school team struggled to get results last season, thus leaving him on the outside of any postseason honors.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">F [player_tooltip player_id="7544" first="Enrique" last="Pineda"], Birmingham (Calif.), Sr.</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Pineda was the leading goalscorer for Birmingham last season, netting 23 goals as the team won the LA City Section title and finished as the SoCal regional runner-up.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">M [player_tooltip player_id="33043" first="Alan" last="Rivera"], Stony Point (Texas), Sr., Missouri State</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Rivera has recorded back-to-back 20+ goal seasons, netting a school-record 23 in 2020 and 22 in 2021. Rivera was an Austin American-Statesman All-Centex first team</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">D [player_tooltip player_id="10377" first="Shawn" last="Smart"], Montverde Academy (Fla.), Sr., Clemson</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Smart is expected to return to the Montverde Academy lineup this week after rehabbing from an injury.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">F [player_tooltip player_id="7514" first="Eduardo" last="Villeda"], Servite (Calif.), Sr., UC Santa Barbara</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">A three-time All-Trinity League selection, Villeda is the most decorated player returning in Orange County this winter.</span></p>