NorCal boys high school powerhouses to meet in Power Play Soccer Showcase of Champions
Ten of the best boys soccer programs in Northern California will participate Saturday in the inaugural Power Play Soccer Showcase of Champions hosted by Las Lomas High.
It’s a who’s who of elite talent assembled from across the North Coast, Central Coast, Sac-Joaquin and San Francisco sections.
The field includes the 2020 NorCal Division I and III champions, Montgomery of Santa Rosa and East Union of Manteca.
Division I runner-up Jesuit, which hails from the Sacramento area, couldn’t attend due to a scheduling conflict, while D-II winner Sanger, itself from the Fresno area, wasn’t able to accept its invitation during a 72-hour window. By the time Sanger responded, the 10th and final spot had already been filled.
“I started at the top,” said Las Lomas coach Adkins, in his sixth season at the helm. “And I wanted to see what kind of response I would get, and I was pleasingly overwhelmed that these teams jumped right in. They wanted to be part of this.”
The event is a fundraiser for Project Play Soccer (projectplaysoccer.org), a non-profit organization founded by Mike Mitchell, a De La Salle grad and its 2020 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.
Adkins and Mitchell met as men’s soccer teammates at Diablo Valley College.
After Mitchell graduated from Chico State, he spent a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa.
Project Play, which aims to improve the lives of children through soccer, began in 2008 and since its inception has donated thousands of balls and equipment to local youth in places such as Niger, Kenya, Benin and Mexico, according to Adkins.
Knowing that Mitchell plans to build a soccer field in San Mateo County next to a farm in San Gregorio in order for children to not only learn the sport but also how to grow their own food for nourishment, Adkins felt the showcase could help out his friend’s new venture.
Las Lomas is one of five NCS schools involved, along with Acalanes, Berkeley, De La Salle and Montgomery.
Bellarmine, reigning CCS Open Division champion, plays at 5 p.m. in a rematch of its 1-0 loss to Montgomery during the 2020 NorCal Division I semifinals. That result denied the Bells a chance to defend their 2019 NorCal title.
St. Ignatius, the 2018 NorCal Division I champion, closes out the showcase with a matchup against De La Salle at 7 p.m.
The collection of talent has drawn the attention of multiple Division II, III and NAIA recruits who plan to attend, though the fact the NCAA men’s soccer College Cup takes place this weekend marks a recruitment blackout period for Division I programs, Adkins said.
For a very specific reason, Las Lomas opens play at 11 a.m. against Mission of San Francisco.
“We’ll play first and the rest of the day I’ve got to probably take care of all of the things I didn’t plan for ahead of time,” Adkins said. “Things that I don’t even realize until it comes up.”
What does Adkins know about his opponent?
“The only thing I know about Mission is they’ve won 39 San Francisco section titles – more than anybody, I think, in any section,” Adkins said. “I’m 64 years old. They won a section when my dad was playing in high school in the city, so they have a long history of being a top-quality program.”
Saturday’s schedule (all games at Las Lomas)
11 a.m.: Las Lomas (NCS) vs. Mission (SFS)
1 p.m.: Berkeley (NCS) vs. Bella Vista (SJS)
3 p.m.: Acalanes (NCS) vs. East Union (SJS)
5 p.m.: Montgomery (NCS) vs. Bellarmine (CCS)
7 p.m.: De La Salle (NCS) vs. St. Ignatius (CCS)