It’s been a long road for Gilroy High senior Ben Alcantar, but
he’s finally made it to the level of soccer he’s been aiming
for.
Gilroy – It’s been a long road for Gilroy High senior Ben Alcantar, but he’s finally made it to the level of soccer he’s been aiming for.
After a two-year hiatus from the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program because of a fractured hip he suffered as a freshman, Alcantar has been chosen to participate in the Western Region ODP Camp that begins Saturday at Linfield College in Oregon and ends July 28.
The honor distinguishes Alcantar as one of the top 20 players in Northern California in his age group, the ’88 boys division.
But this past season’s TCAL Offensive Player of the Year – who was also named to the all-league first team – isn’t the only current Mustang soccer player to be involved in the ODP program. Bruce Ocana, a 14-year-old incoming freshman, played at the state ODP level in the boys ’91 division this spring and competed in the Nike Cup in May. He just missed moving on to regionals by a few points.
Alcantar is following in the footsteps of UCSB-bound Alfonso Motagalvan and Evy Diaz de Leon, both Gilroy High standouts who graduated in June. Motagalvan and Diaz de Leon made the Western Region camp. From there, Motagalvan was chosen for the regional ODP team, which is where Alcantar could end up.
“I just want to play my game,” said Alcantar about his hopes for the camp. “I’m an attacking center mid and I just have to show my quality of play.”
GHS co-head coach Brian Hall, who also coaches Alcantar on his DeAnza Force club team, sees the camp as a great opportunity for the senior to get noticed by college coaches.
Hall, an international soccer referee currently calling games at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, was instrumental in getting Alcantar a shot at the camp. Alcantar had to miss the state ODP season a few months back because of his nagging hip injury. But Hall pulled some strings and got his player a special tryout. From there, Alcantar proved he deserved a spot at the regional camp.
“The guy is so quick and has an uncanny ability to work in small places under pressure,” Hall said. “He has the ability to go through players and take them on with his ball skills.”
Co-head coach Armando Padilla is eager to see how Alcantar stacks up against the best players in the 14 western states. “It’s exciting for us to have that caliber of player on the team,” Padilla said. “He’s incredible on the field. He works magic.”
Alcantar would like to continue his career in college and has been in contact with the Santa Clara and UC Davis programs. He plans on making an official visit to Santa Clara in the near future.
Brownell grad Ocana is just entering the GHS program and is the younger brother of former Mustang standouts Carlos, now 25, and Uriel, now 23. But don’t expect the fleet youngster to stay in their shadows.
“I’m going to get higher than them,” Ocana said. “I never give up, no matter what.”
Hall, who coached Bruce’s older brothers, remembers visiting the Ocana house, where young Bruce had a definite impression on him.
“He was non-stop, jumping on couches, on top of you and I thought, ‘Man, if this kid has the same energy and puts it into soccer, he’ll be one heck of a player,'” Hall said.
The right midfielder would like to play on the GHS varsity as a freshman this year, but knows he has to earn the spot.
“It depends,” Ocana said. “I have to show myself.”
