11 players who could shape the Southern Section DI title

To say that the Servite and JSerra Catholic boys soccer programs know each other well would be an understatement. They are in the same league, the Trinity League, so they have already played twice. Not only that, the two coaches, Eddie Soto for Servite and Erik Kirsch for JSerra, go way back. Kirsch coached Soto when he was a professional player, playing for the Orange County Zodiac after he starred at Cal State Fullerton in the mid-1990s. Since Kirsch took over the Lions program five years ago, they have been slowly closing the gap between JSerra and the Friars. JSerra has reached the Southern Section Division I quarterfinals for the last three years, and are in their first final since 2010. "This quest started five years ago during the first weight room session at 6 a.m.," Kirsch said. "Winning the CIF title would be a great accomplishment for the school, the program, and glorify all the pillars we keep close to us and define who we are." Now, the two teams square off on Friday for all of the glory with kickoff being at 5 p.m. at JSerra High. "We know them really well, they are in our conference, and have been over our shoulder for a while," Soto said. "They are a good group, they always play well against us. It’s going to be a tough game. They are a group that is very organized, very physical, they are great on set pieces and they play with a lot of grit and fight." Kirsch returned the favor, talking about what a tough side Servite is. The Friars show physical toughness, but they also show something a lot of teams don’t and that is mental toughness. "It’s their fortitude, they are not easy to break mentally," Kirsch said. "Even if you get physical they stay strong, and they haven’t broken in that area. We need to stay composed so that all the other facets of what makes us very good will come out." Both sides are loaded with talent and here are 11 players who could shape the final. <strong>Rocco Bon, JSerra, Senior, Attacking Midfielder</strong> Bon is very mobile in the midfield. A dynamic player who can beat teams in a multitude of ways. His biggest attribute may be how clever he is, which allows him to cause problems for defenses. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="8056" first="Keenai" last="Braun"], JSerra, Junior, Central Defender</strong> Braun is a junior who has been a starter for three years, with all three teams making the Southern Section playoffs. He is the anchor of this defense. He is calm and strong and a big time leader for the Lions. [caption id="attachment_39547" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/Merrick-Cook-2-crop-1845x1212-1645715916.jpg"><img class="wp-image-39547 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/Merrick-Cook-2-crop-1845x1212-1645715916-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="8297" first="Merrick" last="Cook"].</strong> <em>Photo: Servite High School</em>[/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="8297" first="Merrick" last="Cook"], Servite, Senior, Keeper</strong> The big, imposing shot-stopper has been hard to score on in the CIF playoffs. He has allowed one goal in four games. A keeper that can build out of the back due to his calm on the ball, his skill with his feet, is committed to Cal State Northridge. <strong>J.T. Danks, Servite, Senior, Central Defender</strong> Danks will be joining Cook in college, as he is committed to Northridge, and since committed been a different player. He has been composed in the back, leading the back line as he has taken his game to a different level. <strong>Sidney Dina, JSerra, Junior, Defensive Midfielder</strong> Dina does exactly what you want from a defensive midfielder. He’s the guy constantly cleaning everything up. He’s winning tackles all over the pitch and is not afraid to do the dirty work. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="7496" first="Dylan" last="Graham"], Servite, Junior, Striker</strong> Graham was the second-leading scorer in the league, scoring 14 goals on the season, and came up huge for the Friars in the quarterfinal against Godinez with a goal and an assist. He is a big presence, a target striker who can score. He shows great strength and finesse. <strong>Reagan Heslin, JSerra, Junior, Striker</strong> A point man for the Lions, he is a target man but a dynamic No. 9 who can slide back into the No. 10 role. He’s the kind of striker that can take over a game. He’s fast, strong, can score with either foot. He’s a real handful for opposing defenses. [caption id="attachment_39552" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/2-crop-600x394-1645716355.jpg"><img class="wp-image-39552 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/2-crop-600x394-1645716355-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="8643" first="Sean" last="McTague"].</strong> <em>Photo: Nick Chaves</em>[/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="8643" first="Sean" last="McTague"], JSerra, Senior, Forward</strong> McTague is committed to play at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo next season, and the Mustangs are getting a strong, speedy and dynamic player who thrives in 1v1 situations. He is a legit goal-scorer who can put the team on his back and carry them at any moment. <strong>Pierce Pfeiffer, JSerra, Senior, Keeper</strong> Pfeiffer is a very talented keeper and he has truly been playing up to his great potential in the post-season with three clean sheets in four matches. He’s really improved on balls in the air and the Lions’ defense is more secure because of it. <strong>Nico Rudisill, JSerra, Senior, Midfielder</strong> Rudisill is an absolute ironman for the Lions. He’s started every game for all four years he’s been in the program. He’s the leader and the captain. He sets the tone, the standard, and the expectations. Rudisill plays hard at all times. He is heading to Embry-Riddle to play next year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="7514" first="Eduardo" last="Villeda"], Servite, Senior, Attacking Midfielder</strong> Villeda had a monsters season with 20 goals and a school-record 21 assists. It’s easy to see why he’s a UC Santa Barbara commit. He is a very technical player, he is a playmaker with great power and speed. He can literally do it all.