Central Valley High School’s tradition-rich boys soccer program could reach new heights this winter according to fourth-year head coach Horatio Garcia.
Winners of eight conference titles the past 15 years, the Hawks will try to hoist their first-ever Sac-Joaquin Section blue championship banner in the air this season.
Central Valley has an all-time record of 0-7 in the section finals.
“The goal is to be the first team to win the section title for the school,” Garcia said. “We’ve been pursuing it for years. We’ve been close. It’s something that motivates us.”
The Hawks return 14 players from last year’s team, including Alexis Cervantes (Sr.), Diego Covarrubias (Sr.), Julio Larranaga (Sr.), Victor Macias (Sr.), Yahir Perez (Sr.), Miguel Serrano (Sr.), Gilbert Zamora III (Sr.), Alejandro Garcia (Jr.), Enrique Lopez (Jr.), Artemio Ortiz (Jr.), Anantah Sivongxay (Jr.), Tahte Yang (Jr.), Ivan Cervantes (So.) and Diego Ochoa (So.).
Central Valley has eight newcomers: Aaron Flores (Sr.), Andres Guevara (Sr.), Jesus Silva (Sr.), Omar Alvarez (Jr.), Ivan Velasquez (Jr.), Diego De Jesus (So.), Damyan Garcia (So.) and Adrian Serrano (Fr.).
“They’re aware of the program’s history,” Garcia said. “They want to be remembered as being part of a successful team.”
The Hawks lost two all-Central California Conference players to graduation in Eberardo Huaracha and Nicolas Gil.
Perez and Alexis Cervantes were both named to the CCC Second Team as juniors.
Cervantes scored a team-high 22 goals and dished out three assists.
Perez collected eight goals and one assist.
Zamora was named Central Valley’s CCC Sportsmanship Award winner.
He had one goal.
Zamora spent his first two years of high school at Ceres.
Zamora, Silva and Miguel Serrano will serve as Central Valley’s team captains this season.
“The other players look up to them,” Garcia said.
Zamora was also a captain junior year.
“Gilbert’s developed into a very good player,” Garcia said. “He gives 110 percent every time he’s on the field. He’s quiet but leads by example.
Eleven of Central Valley’s players compete year-round.
“Our team chemistry is really awesome,” Garcia said. “It’s a big advantage having so many kids from the same club teams. They know each other. It makes it very easy to coach.”
Central Valley reached the semifinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-I playoff bracket, amassed an 18-6-6 overall record and finished in second place in the CCC with a 7-3-2 mark last winter.
A tough regular-season schedule prepared the Hawks for the postseason.
Twelve of Central Valley’s opponents qualified for the playoffs, including Golden Valley, Atwater, Patterson, East Union, Reedley, Vista del Lago, Modesto High, Pitman, Clovis West, Central (Fresno), Riverbank and Livingston.
The Hawks’ 2023-24 conference schedule will feature matches against Patterson, Atwater, Buhach Colony, Merced, Golden Valley and El Capitan.
Golden Valley (9-2-1) claimed the CCC title this past season.
Central Valley finished ahead of Atwater (6-4-2), Patterson (6-5-1), Merced (4-6-2), El Capitan (4-7-1) and Buhach Colony (1-10-1).
The Hawks will move from the CCC to the Western Athletic Conference as part of the section’s realignment plan next year.
“If it was up to me, we’d stay in the CCC,” Garcia said. “It’s very challenging every year. The rest of the schools are competitive. It better prepares us for playoffs.”
Central Valley has participated in the playoffs 14 of the past 15 seasons.
The Hawks would have qualified during the 2020-21 school year but postseason play was canceled due to COVID-19 safety concerns.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in front of us,” Garcia said. “We continue to have successful seasons year after year. We have higher expectations this year. We want to win the league title and make it to the section finals. We want to give something back to the school.”
