Sequoia’s Leimana Makasini, left, Half Moon Bay’s Nathan Freitas, center, and South City’s Angel Ramirez shared PAL Ocean Division Forwards of the Year. The three teams finished 1-2-3 in the Ocean and all qualified for CCS.
Because of the positioning of soccer, it can be difficult at times to determine a single Most Valuable Player as there are a several positions that have different demands.
The Peninsula Athletic League soccer coaches understand this and instead of naming one overall division MVP, the best players at each position garner, in effect, MVP honors for that position.
So it’s not uncommon to see multiple players awarded Player of the Year honors and 2023 was no different.
That was never more apparent than the PAL Ocean Division Player of the Year list. Three players were honored as Forwards of the Year. Sequoia’s Leimana Makasini, Half Moon Bay’s Nathan Freitas and South City’s Angel Ramirez all had compelling arguments to be the lone winner, but all three being named was probably the right choice.
Sequoia head coach Greg Markoulakis said given the success of the Ocean Division this season — for the first time, three teams qualified for the Central Coast Section playoffs — and given Sequoia, HMB and South City all could lay claim to the Forward of the Year title, the coaches in the division went with all three of them.
“There has never been a season like this in the Ocean, when all three teams made CCS,” Markoulakis said. “All three were so instrumental in their (team’s attack), it was difficult to deny them.”
Ramirez won the proverbial “golden boot” in the Ocean Division. In European soccer, the award is for the league’s highest scorer and, this year, it was Ramirez. The junior scored a league-high 19 goals and added six assists. With two points being awarded for a goal and a point per assist, Ramirez racked up 44 points this season.
Makasini, a senior, who helped lead the Ravens to the Ocean Division championship, finished with 39 points, based on 14 goals and 11 assists, which was a division-high.
Freitas, another senior, finished the season with 13 goals and five assists, good for 31 points.
Not coincidentally, Sequoia, Half Moon Bay and South City went 1-2-3 in the Ocean Division table.
“Each (team) had that one player that had that ‘wow’ factor,” Markoulakis said.
All three schools were represented in the Midfielders of the Year, with Sequoia’s Gilberto Lopez, HMB’s Joaquin Eisenberg and South City’s Fidel Jimenez honored.
Eric Barajas (South City) and Jose Sanchez (Sequoia) were Defenders of the Year, while San Mateo goalkeeper Sam Iannone was honored as best in the Ocean this season.
In the Bay Division, Carlmont’s David Valdez was named Forward of the Year; Brendan Pineda, a midfielder on Aragon’s now three-time defending Bay Division champs, and Burlingame’s Alex Kelly were honored as Midfielders of the Year. Another Aragon-Burlingame pairing making up Defender of the Year with Ryan Cleary (Aragon) and Dominic Dimech (Burlingame) earning the honors. Carlmont’s Hudson Fox was named Goalkeeper of the Year in the Bay Division.
Unlike the Bay and Ocean, the Lake Division decided to go with a division MVP, with Jefferson’s Gabriel Sorroza earning the nod.
While forwards are generally thought of as the main goal scorers on the soccer field, that is not always the case. Sometimes a player’s presence, the pressure they can put on a defense and the gravity surrounding a quality striker all contribute to a player’s overall impact.
Val Latu-Nava did not score the most goals in the M-A girls’ soccer team run to the PAL Bay Division title, but her play was a key cog in helping lead the Bears to an unbeaten Bay Division championship.
Menlo-Atheton’s Val Latu-Nava was named Bay Division Forward of the Year, one of three Player of the Year honors garnered by the Bears.
Daily Journal sports file
“She is just dynamic with the ball,” said M-A head coach Jason Luce. “She had the knack to score some nice goals. She was kind of the top of the attack for us.”
Not surprisingly, a number of Bears earned Player of the Year honors. Goalkeeper Gigi Edwards, who posted seven shutouts in 10 Bay Division matches, was named Goalkeeper of the Year.
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In tandem, M-A’s Susan Wagstaff was named Defender of the Year as the Bears’ defender surrendered just five goals in league play.
“[My] team was built on defending well and playing with heart,” Luce said. “I knew my team was going to show up every day. All the accomplishments they’re getting are really team awards.”
Sequoia’s Addison Haws and Woodside’s Pilar Vanheusden were named Co-Midfielders of the Year. Haws was the highest scorer in the Bay Division, accumulating 20 points on nine goals and two assists.
The Ocean Division honors, despite Aragon going 10-0 in winning the division title, was dispersed among several teams. Nuria Adorno Lopez was named Co-Midfielder of the Year, along with Capuchino’s Alondra Nungaray. Adorno Lopez was the only Aragon player to earn Player of the Year status.
Terra Nova’s Madison Donati was the easy choice for Forward of the Year, scoring 12 times in 10 Ocean Division matches.
San Mateo’s Evelyn Su was named Defender of the Year and South City’s Gali Moran earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
In the Lake Division, Mills picked up two of the Player of the Year honors, with Abigail Zennadi being named Forward of the Year and Anji Marwah Midfielder of the Year. The two combined for 11 goals in Lake play.
El Camino, the Lake Division champ, got two Player of the Year awards, with Valentine Sandillo earning the Defender of the Year nod and Krystal Alcaraz being honored as Goalkeeper of the Year.
Private schools
The Sacred Heart Prep boys cleaned up in Player of the Year honors after going 13-0-1 and capturing the West Bay Athletic League championship.
Luke Maxwell earned Forward of the Year honors, with Thomas Sullivan taking the Defender of the Year award and Logan Aboudara being named Goalkeeper of the Year.
Menlo’s Adrian Skinner prevented the SHP sweep, as he was named Midfielder of the Year.
In the girls’ WBAL Foothill Division, a trio of county teams are represented. Notre Dame-Belmont’s Athena Carvallo was named Forward of the Year, Menlo School took both Midfielder of the Year with Angelica Chou and Defender of the Year in Tabitha Corcoran. The Knights won the Foothill Division title this season.
SHP’s Mia Kilburn was chosen as Goalkeeper of the Year.
In the Skyline Division, Crystal’s Ashley Rangel Arroyo was named Goalkeeper of the Year
In the West Catholic Athletic League, Serra placed a pair of players on the WCAL First Team: forward Xavier Van Loven Sels and midfielder Whitaker Tollman.
A complete list of the all-league teams can be found at the following websites:
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