Reigning league champs return top talent for another title
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GILROY – One year removed from sharing the league title, the Gilroy High boys soccer team is already back in action – opening with Friday’s scoreless tie against Alisal followed by a 2-1 victory Wednesday over Aptos.
But this year’s Mustang kickers – still stockpiled with talent – are under new direction as three-year junior varsity coach Armando Padilla takes over the varsity ranks from four-year coach Albert Marquez.
In addition, World Cup official Brian Hall, who assisted Marquez in back-to-back playoff appearances the last two years, has signed on again in a co-head coaching capacity with Padilla. The two also coached a club team together this summer.
“(Marquez) built something out of nothing here at Gilroy. He resurrected a program that was pretty much in shambles. Not just Albert, him, Brian (Hall) and Craig (Martin) built and established a foundation,” said Padilla, who hopes to continue the winning tradition. “We have all these names on paper. It sounds like a CCS-bound team, sounds like a team that’s going to return to CCS. But get past the first round, I don’t know.”
Padilla isn’t making any bold predictions, but the Mustangs do return reigning co-League MVP Javier Hernandez, who shared the honor as well as the league title with Live Oak’s Cesar Serrano. Hernandez comes off a junior season with league-highs in goals (9) and assists (10), while Serrano has joined the Gilroy High coaching staff as a junior varsity assistant.
“We just expect the same things from last year. Good thing about Javi is he has that deceptive speed,” said Padilla of his striker/attacking midfielder. “He’s very lethal. His one-, two-touch passing creates a lot of opportunities inside the penalty box for us.”
Hernandez assisted on teammate Juan Llamas’ goal in Wednesday’s win over Aptos and generated a penalty shot in the scoreless tie with Alisal by controlling the ball in the box.
Joining him on a deadly Mustang front line is junior forward/attacking midfielder Everardo Diaz de Leon – who scored the first goal against Aptos.
“The thing about Eve is he’s so multi-talented. He’s got speed. He’s got strength on the ball. He kinda knows when to turn it on, when to take it to the next level as far as burst of speed,” Padilla said. “He’s almost your perfect striker. He comes back. He wins the ball. He knows when to hold on to it, when to pass and when to take a defender one-on-one.”
Junior midfielder Alfonso Motagalvan, a returning captain, once again will control the action for the Mustangs. The born leader’s club soccer team – which Diaz de Leon also plays for – is in the state tournament pool.
“He’s such a leader. He just takes the leadership role. He’s kind of a natural. He’s competitive by nature,” Padilla said of Motagalvan. “He’s our playmaker. He can build our attack from the back and get us into the opponent’s side of the field and create some scoring chances for us.
“He’s the quarterback of our team,” the coach added. “We’re looking for some really, really big things from him.”
Senior striker/outside midfielder Jorge Plata brings his big boot back to the Gilroy attack after a standout junior season, his first on the varsity squad.
“Between him and Alfonso, we’re going to score quite a few on set pieces. They’re so good (at set pieces) we’re bound to score a couple,” Padilla said. “The thing with Plata is he’s lethal with his right or left foot. You never know if he’s going to shoot with his right or left foot.”
Sophomore defensive midfielder Ben Alcantar will play alongside Motagalvan on the midfield line – but his position puts an emphasis on the defensive end.
“We’re actually trying to mold him into the defensive mid position. He loves to take players on,” said Padilla of Alcantar, who plays an attacking midfielder on his club team. “We’re trying to get him a little more disciplined about staying back. It’s a new role for him.”
Unlike the midfield and attack lines that are filled by returning starters, Gilroy’s defense is completely revamped after losing the entire starting line-up to graduation. Junior Artemio Arteaga – younger brother of former Mustang standout Horacio Arteaga – will move back from midfield to play sweeper this season. Sophomore fullback Neil Martin also steps in to a starting role – getting some action last season on the defensive line.
“(Arteaga) is going to be the anchor of the defense. He’s strong back there. He saved us back there today,” Padilla said. “(Martin) is going to help us out. Our whole defense last year was a senior defense. These young guys have to step up and fill some big shoes. They’ve been playing really well.”
The Mustang defense recorded a shutout in the opening tie and allowed only one first-half goal in Wednesday’s win over Aptos. The fullback rotation also includes junior Aaron Thomas, who was brought up from JV for playoffs last season, and junior Ismael Nava, who has shined in the first two games.
“(Thomas) can settle the ball and play it to our midfielders. He knows how to control the ball and settle the ball and create plays to the offense,” Padilla said. “Nava right now played two incredible games for us. Next to Artemio, he is a workhorse out there. He’s our guy who can men mark. He’s still learning, but he’s picking it up really quickly.”
The varsity roster also features sophomore outside midfielder Jamie Binowski, who played with Padilla on JV as a freshman, and freshman Jose Velasquez, who just finished up his cross country season.
“(Binowski) woulda played varsity last year if it wasn’t for his size, but he’s grown this year. He’s a little bit stronger. He’s another kid that we are going to rotate into the mix who can create plays,” Padilla said. “We decided to keep (Velasquez up on varsity). Although he’s small. … He has incredible heart and an incredible work rate. For his size and age, he does so well on the outside. He can cross balls in. He’s tiny, but he sends perfect balls for one-touch shot opportunities.”
The Mustangs rigorous non-league schedule continues with Friday’s road game against Santa Cruz before home games against Branham at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 and Fremont at 3:30 pm. Dec. 4.
“Santa Cruz was last year’s Division II Champs. The team we beat today (Aptos) made it to the quarterfinals last year in Division II,” said Padilla, whose Mustangs lost 3-0 to Santa Cruz last year. “This year what we’ve tried to do is build a preseason schedule that challenges us and prepares us for league, and maybe gets us out of league and into CCS.”
Padilla never had a losing season of his three at the junior varsity level. Last season, his team finished in first place and the year before they were tied for first with Live Oak. Padilla and Hall are working for the same success this season on varsity.
“(Hall) captivates. He motivates and inspires kids to play at their fullest, fullest potential,” Padilla said. “We’re going to try to go game by game, stay healthy and focus in on the objectives set for ourselves in each game.”
The junior varsity team is headed up by first-year coach Sergio Herrera along with assistants Serrano and Scott Martin, an All-League player for Gilroy last season.
