Teams to Watch

BIRMINGHAM

1996-97: 12-3-6, Northwest Valley Conference champions

Conference champions five times in six seasons, including the last three, the Braves have been a playoff flop.

Six starters return, only two of them seniors. Midfielder John Ortega and goalkeeper John Wall, both sophomores, earned All-North Valley League honors. Ortega is the team’s playmaker and Wall posted five shutouts.

Scoring was the team’s biggest problem last season when forwards Walter Aparicio and Eric Reyes were academically ineligible in the second half of last season. Both players are fast, talented and eligible.

“This is my best team ever, even though we’re young,” Coach Jose Freire said.

BURROUGHS

1996-97: 18-6-2, Foothill League champions

The Indians have won five league titles in six years, including last season when they set a league record by allowing only two goals in 10 league games. Six starters return.

The biggest loss to graduation was goalkeeper Jose Munoz, meaning diminutive senior forward Miguel Meneses will have to have a season similar to his junior campaign, when he had 17 goals, 12 assists and was an All-Southern Section Division III selection.

Senior Gary Guenther and junior Brian Criscuolo lead the defense and senior midfielders Robbie Honicky, Brent Guido and Stergios Economos must get Meneses the ball and provide some scoring themselves.

“There’s a tradition to uphold here and the alumni will let you hear about it if you don’t,” Coach Mike Kodama said. “These guys want to build on that and I think they can.”

RESEDA

1996-97: 14-2, Valley Pac-8 Conference champions

If ever a label has fit a team, it’s the “talented but temperamental” tag hung on the Regents the past few seasons. A petulant and gifted group, last year’s team earned the No. 1 seeding in the City Section playoffs and the ire of nearly every referee it encountered. Reseda suffered a second-round upset by eventual finalist El Camino Real.

Graduated are Alex Acevedo and Marvin Quijano, the best but also most emotional players last season. Key returnees are junior midfielder Carlos Morales and sophomore midfielder Jesse Servin. Rocky Monzon and Oscar Sims, who scored 10 goals last season, team at forward. Strong play from sophomore sweeper Edwin Miranda is crucial.

“Everybody felt bad about last year and we questioned ourselves a lot afterward,” Regent Coach Julio Castillo said. “Right now we’re trying to concentrate on discipline, on and off the field.”

RIO MESA

1996-97: 14-3-5, Channel League champions

The Spartans claimed their first league title in the 19-year history of the program last season and return 12 players who started at some point.

The team suffered graduation losses up the middle, however, with the departures of forward Jaime Ambriz, midfielder Adam Reeves and defender David Chooljian.

Key returnees are junior strikers David Cervantes, who had 10 goals and six assists last season, and Austin Dillon, who had four goals and two assists in a part-time role. The midfield must prove itself but features Keith Yanov, a junior with speed and star potential.

The loss of Ambriz coupled with the return of four defenders and senior goalkeeper Christian Zuniga means Rio Mesa, unlike last season, will engage in few high-scoring games. Zuniga is 15-3-6 in his career with a goals against average of 1.21.

SIMI VALLEY

1996-1997: 21-5-3, second in Marmonte League

Technically, the Pioneers return only four starters yet are favored to win the Marmonte League after finishing second last season. Two of the reasons are midfielder Mustafa Sarwari and forward Chris Harris, seniors who sat out all but a few games in 1996-97 because of academic ineligibility.

Harris scored 19 goals as a sophomore and is expected to team with junior forward Gabe Renes, the leading scorer on last year’s undefeated junior varsity. They will try to fill the void left by graduated forward John Gonzalez and his 23 goals last season.

Chris Wells is a standout midfielder and Ryan Meuse, one of the region’s fastest players, moves to fullback from forward.

Last season Simi Valley led the league at the season’s midpoint before watching cross-town rival Royal surge past to win the Marmonte title and the Southern Section Division I championship.

Coach Rob Looyen believes this is the Pioneers’ year.

“With the kind of talent we’ve had come through the school and the success of our junior varsity, it proves it’s time for us to step up,” he said.