Prep boys’ soccer: Whitney up to No. 2; Vacaville unbeaten; one week in league races
One more week.
The Davis boys’ soccer team has been pounding out wins for more than a month now, amassing a 10-1 overall record and an 8-1 mark in the Delta League. This week, the Blue Devils avenged their only loss of the year, a 1-0 defeat to Franklin on Dec. 16. In the second game Tuesday, Davis won 4-0.
A week doesn’t sound like much, but the top-ranked Blue Devils have quite a gauntlet coming up. First up is Pleasant Grove, which has a 4-2-3 record in the Delta and a win over third-ranked Jesuit. Then Davis plays an away game at Jesuit next Tuesday in a showdown that should decide the Delta title. The Blue Devils wrap up with a Sheldon team that is capable of pulling off upsets.
Upsets and topsy-turvy results have been the theme of this soccer season. It’s not limited to the Delta League. Second-ranked Whitney is unbeaten in Sierra Foothill League play, but they’re the only team that can say that. Granite Bay knocked off then-No. 2 Del Oro last week. And the Wildcats have survived scares themselves, eking out a 4-3 win over Folsom on Tuesday.
What’s it like coaching in the SFL?
“Rough,” Whitney coach Joel Williams said. “Anyone can catch anyone on a given night, especially as teams go into each night missing three to five (players) every match. We’ve yet to play a match with our full squad. It’s survival of the fittest, but it has been a lot of fun as well. No nights off.”
While Whitney leads the SFL, Del Oro is within striking distance. The two teams have played each other twice already, both 1-1 ties, but the Wildcats have four games left (Oak Ridge, Folsom, Granite Bay and Rocklin). A slip up could cost a league title but the Wildcats are the top-ranked team in the area and a sure thing to make the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.
Playoffs? We’re talking playoffs?
No division is more compelling than the Capital Athletic League. Rio Americano made a statement last week with a win over rival Christian Brothers, then promptly took a 2-1 loss to Vista del Lago. Vista del Lago faces Christian Brothers on Thursday. Rio has just two games left on the schedule, including the season finale next Thursday against Christian Brothers.
“It’s like a playoff game,” Rio head coach Antonio Sutton said. “Every time we play them it is a big battle, and it is good preparation for when it is actual playoffs.”
The actual playoffs start in less than two weeks, with the first games on Feb. 9.
Stats update
The Sac-Joaquin Section scoring race has two players from the Sacramento area in the thick of it. Galt’s Miguel Garcia has 20 goals and three assists in just 10 games this year, the top scoring output of any area player this winter. Close behind is Nathan Beltran of Vacaville, who has 19 goals and one assist. Bella Vista’s Sean Battistessa is close behind, with 17 goals and five assists through 10 games.
The Bee’s Top 10 boys’ soccer teams
(records entering play Wednesday)
1. Davis 9-1
2. Whitney 10-2-2
3. Jesuit 12-2-2
4. Del Oro 6-1-3
5. Vacaville 8-0-2
6. Placer 14-1-1
7. Rio Americano 5-1-2
8. Pioneer 10-1-1
9. Galt 10-1-2
10. Lincoln 11-2
Bubble Teams: Granite Bay, Liberty Ranch, McClatchy, Ponderosa, Pleasant Grove, Vista Del Lago, Woodland.