Prep girls’ soccer: Long-range blast keeps Granite Bay rolling atop the Sacramento scene

There is no shortage of talent across the Sacramento area on girls’ soccer fields.

That sentiment, perhaps, is most evident in the ultra-competitive Sierra Foothill League. In MaxPreps’ latest rankings, the six SFL teams – Del Oro, Folsom, Granite Bay, Oak Ridge, Rocklin and Whitney – are among the top 11 programs in the Sac-Joaquin Section.

“There’s a lot more parity,” said Granite Bay coach Mark Broers. “The Sac-Joaquin Section is full of young women aspiring to play in college. There’s lots of good all-around players who prove year after year that their playing styles are definitely improving.”

Broers’ Grizzlies can make an argument to be the top team in the area. After a 1-0 victory at Whitney on a chilly Thursday night, Granite Bay improved to ]5-0-1 (3-0-1 SFL).

This season, league play started earlier than past years, Broers said, leaving Granite Bay with only a handful of games played close to the midway point of SFL play. But the Grizzlies have made the most of their opportunities.

“Everyone we’ve played so far has been really good,” said Granite Bay senior Savannah Schwarze. “It’s a really competitive season this year. There’s a lot of good people and good teams and we’ve just got to fight til the end to try to get as many goals as we can.”

On Thursday, Schwarze was the recipient of a perfectly placed free kick from Kennedy Swift from nearly 40 yards out in first-half stoppage time. Schwarze, near the far post, tucked the ball into the net with a header for the game’s only score.

“(Swift) served the beautiful ball in, and I just saw it coming away and just got my head on it,” Schwarze said. “When I opened my eyes, it went in.”

The goal caused an eruption on the Grizzlies’ sideline and a mobbing of Schwarze on the field. It even impressed twin sister, Julia Schwarze, who was playing the rebound.

“When I saw the ball come in and I saw her head in, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ ” Julia Schwarze said. “We were just working hard. We kept them out of our back. We did a good job. We kept going forward, taking chances and finally capitalized on one.”

The Schwarze twins are but a pair of several Granite Bay players who plan to play at the next level. Savannah is committed to Saint Mary’s, and Julia to Fresno State. Midfielder Lucy Newlin, who Broers called an “elite-level player,” is headed to Washington next year. Fellow midfielder Daryn Conner is committed to play at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and junior goalkeeper Alyssa Savig recently committed to Stanford.

“We have designated captains, but they all take charge when they’re on the field,” Broers said.

Despite Thursday’s result and a 1-3 start to SFL play, Whitney can also lay claim to one of the higher rungs on the girls’ soccer ladder. The Wildcats (11-4) began the season 8-0, with seven shutouts, largely due to having senior Reese Clarke between the posts. Clarke is the lone holdover from Whitney’s 2019 Sac-Joaquin Section championship team. As a freshman, she had seven saves in the Division II championship game against St. Francis.

Whitney also features UC Davis-bound forward Angela Shannon, juniors Courtney Wagner (Cal Poly) and Devyn Costo (Chico State) and the team’s leading point-scorer, sophomore Lauren Hunter (10 goals, 10 assists entering Thursday).

“I’ve had many teams. This team is unique because of the chemistry,” Whitney coach Ana Jones said. “They really gel away from soccer with team dinners and bonding. That’s the glue that holds the team together.”

Jones and Broers offered a collection of other Sacramento-area teams to watch for this season, including Oak Ridge, Del Oro, Rocklin, Vista del Lago, Folsom, Christian Brothers, St. Francis and Davis.