At the Head of the Class : Soccer: Depth and experience should help area schools stand out in the City Section’s 24th season.

On Wednesday, 20 boys’ practice soccer games will kick off the City Section’s 24th season, where the teams favored to make it to the finals are from area schools.

The Southeastern Conference is the most balanced in the City Section, with traditional powers Bell, Fremont, Garfield and Roosevelt as the favorites and South Gate, Locke and Jordan as the underdogs. In the last five championship matches, at least one representative from this group has made it to the section final.

Although Fremont was crowned City Section champion for the 1992-93 season, Bell is the team to watch this year. The Eagles will be led by Coach Jesus Torres, who takes over after 23 years of Coach William Albano’s discipline at Bell.

Meanwhile, the girls’ program expands to 21 schools fielding teams, with this year’s inclusion of University, Westchester, Gardena, Hamilton and Monroe high schools. Some teams have been moved to balance conference competition.

The girls’ 16-team playoffs begin Feb. 18 with Garfield and Bell as the only two area teams capable of dethroning Chatsworth, the only title-winner in the sport’s five-year history.

In the Southern Section, Bell Gardens, Cathedral and Salesian have consistently made it the playoffs and continue to be a force in their divisions.

Competition in the Southern Section began Nov. 28. Playoffs are scheduled for Feb. 18, and the final will be March 5.

Here’s a look at the area’s top 10 boys’ squads and the top two girls’ programs:

Boys’ Soccer

Bell (9-3-2) won the Watts Summer Games soccer tournament under Albano with most of the same team that advanced to the quarterfinals last season. Dedicating the season to last year’s starting goalie Marcos Landeros, who died of liver cancer shortly after he graduated, the Eagles will sport purple jerseys with “Landeros’ No. 1” on the sleeves during practice. Sophomore Jose Urena replaces Landeros at the goal mouth. At the helm of the returning Eagles is junior left-winger Jorge Iberri, who was named most valuable player at the Watts Summer Games. Maynor Alvarez, a transfer from the Fremont championship team, will strengthen the midfield.

Fremont (15-1-1) will defend its first title with a considerably new team. Coach Luis Rosales will depend on veterans Noe Valdez at goal, midfielder Mario Vasquez and striker Rene Lemus as the nucleus of the young squad. Junior Gilberto Barajas, who plays as both a defender and forward, will be a threat at the midfield, while sophomore brothers Pablo and Omar Gonzalez support the offense.

Manual Arts (11-4) was the dark horse last season and finished undefeated in league play. Using a 4-4-2 lineup, Coach Ignacio Estrada took the Toilers to the quarterfinals, finishing the season with 53 goals in favor and 17 against. This year the same goal-scoring machine returns for a shot at the City title with third-year letterman Jorge Escobar at the midfield and junior Selvin Pineda, who led in scoring with 14 goals.

Belmont (10-1-1) was the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, losing its only match in the first round of eliminations in a penalty shootout against wild-card Bell. The Sentinels have consistently come out with strong squads, and in the 1991-92 season reached the finals, but then lost to Garfield. Under Coach Nancy Carr-Swaim, eight players appear for another shot at the championships. Sophomore Eric Hernandez was the leading scorer for the Sentinels last season. Veteran fullbacks Pablo Navez and Sergio Franco and halfback Salvador Gochez along with goalie Mario Orellana stack the defense.

Garfield (6-3), traditionally a soccer power, has won five City championships in the 23 years Coach Anthony Critelli has been at the helm. The Bulldogs will seek their sixth title under Coach Gerardo Campos, who has been an assistant coach for the school’s cross-country team for 10 years. Campos will have to rely on mostly juniors and sophomores. Only three starters reappear: Romero Cordova, who scored three goals in four matches during the Watts Games; halfback Luis Garcia, whom Campos qualifies as the best in the region, and midfielder Rosendo Ruiz, a leader in defense and offense.

Roosevelt (7-4-2) comes back with striker Franco Perez, who tallied nine times last season. He is expected to surpass that mark, according to Miguel Roura, coach of a team rich with returners. Two-year captain and sweeper Arturo Lopez and fullback David Medina, a two-year league all-star, are the foundation of the experienced squad. New standouts Miguel Santamaria, Vicente Mejia and Cesar Rodriguez are expected to complement the team.

Washington (8-3) suffers from inconsistency in coaching styles as four coaches have led the team in the last four years. Yet the Generals have continually come out with strong squads and made it as far as the second round of playoffs last year. This season, rookie Coach Cheryl Heughins takes charge of a veteran squad to challenge perennial power San Pedro for a conference title. Washington’s scoring trio of Octavio Pandura, Elio Guzman and Jaime Escalante return for their last season. Goalkeepers Hugo Chinen and Alfredo Hernandez help balance the defense.

Bell Gardens (17-6-1) won 10 league titles in the last 13 years under the direction of Coach Orlando Brenes, who also coaches the East Los Angeles College squad. The Lancers took the 1990 division title. Bell Gardens enters the season as summer league champion, having beaten Belmont 3-0 in the final. Sal Castillo, summer league MVP, and goalie Luis Ayala return to lead the team.

Cathedral (13-6-1) reached the playoffs four years in a row with Coach Sal Lopez. The Phantoms have a good chance to make it again as most of last year’s team returns. Center-forward Rene Barragan and right-wing Eliseo Baltazar are the heart of the offense, while Thomas de la Torre, Joao Gutierrez and Alberto Gonzalez command the defense.

Salesian (16-1-4) entered the playoffs as the only undefeated team but lost in the first round. Since Coach Sal Sarmiento has been in charge, the Mustangs have lost only once at home in the last two years. Sarmiento says the team will go through restructuring since only three starters will return.

Girls’ Soccer

Garfield (7-4-1) made it to the first round of the playoffs last season with essentially the same team it has this year. Coach Thomas Hutton hopes to challenge the suburban teams with returning first-team all-conference players Aracely Tamayo, Liz Oyarzabal and goalie Julissa Medina. Since San Pedro (13-1) moved to another conference, Garfield is the top contender for the conference title.

Bell (5-5-3) lost in the first round of playoffs to eventual champion Chatsworth. Coach Norma Escobedo’s Eagles come back with third-year goalie Rosa Delgado as the squad’s foundation, while Liz Ceja and Alma Ziana will be at the offensive helm.