For the past decade or so, Benicia High’s boys varsity soccer team was always the team to beat in the Solano County Athletic Conference. Those days may be over.
The Panthers, coming off a second-place finish in the SCAC last season, return only seven players from a team that went 12-5-3 overall and was booted out of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs in the first round. More than 80 percent of Benicia’s offense from last year must be replaced, including Alex Fluitt, who is spending his senior year playing for the San Jose Earthquakes in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
“We’re a really young and very inexperienced team,” admitted Benicia head coach Javier Martinez. “We’re just hoping things develop quickly.”
Junior midfielder Austin Royce scored six goals last season, the most of any returning player. Senior forward Evan Sousa had five goals and defensive midfielder Spencer Vercelli had only one. No other player on the current roster scored a varsity goal last season.
Where will the offense come from in 2014? Keep your eye on junior midfielder Mikkel West, a foreign-exchange student from Denmark with European soccer skills.
“He’s made more of an impression on me than anyone I’ve ever coached,” Martinez said. “His knowledge of the game is at a very high level and his field vision is very good. I see him leading the team in scoring.”
Martinez is hoping to get some offensive production from junior Niccolo Villella and sophomore Landon Elfstrom, two standouts on last year’s junior varsity. Midfielder Jimmy Butts, who suffered a knee injury early last season and played in only two games, is back and better than ever.
“He looks like a different player,” Martinez said of the senior. “He’s super strong on the ball and he may have gained some quickness.”
Sophomores Steven Butts and Michael O’Leary will battle to inherit the starting goalkeeper job. Playing in front of them are veteran defenders Imani McNorton and Hudson McNutt (team captain), who anchor the middle of the defensive line. Sophomores Jason Herd and Jason Kirby are expected to start the season on the outside of the defensive line, with fellow sophomore Nicolas Ryujin playing defensive midfielder.
The SCAC season was shortened from 15 games to only 10, and Benicia currently has only two non-league games on its schedule, beginning with the season opener tonight against Wood. Twelve games doesn’t give the Panthers much time to become a cohesive unit, but Martinez still expects his club to challenge for a conference championship.
“I think we’ll be at or near the top of the standings when the dust settles,” Martinez said. “We’re shooting for a home playoff game.”