Boys’ soccer: Breaking down Divisions II through VI

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Here’s my in-your-face coverage of the boys soccer playoffs, not including Division I, which I wrote about earlier in the week but you can still find here.

Division II

Favorite: Santa Barbara (19-3-3, 7-1-0 Channel champion). The Dons are riding a seven-game winning streak. They have outscored opponents, 28-7, during that stretch. Senior forward Vincent Alvarez leads the way with 16 goals, seven of which have come during the winning streak. Alvarez also had 10 assists.

Contenders: Riverside Poly (18-2-4, 7-1-2 Ivy champion), Foothill (14-4-5, 7-0-3 Sea View champion), Ventura (19-1-4, 4-1-3 Channel No. 2), West Torrance (14-3-5, 6-1-1 Bay champion).

Dark horse: Cypress (8-2-2, 8-1-1 Empire No. 2).

Division III

Favorite: Saddleback (21-2-1, 9-1-0 Golden West champion). Mel Silva’s squad seems to have recaptured some of the form form it displayed during the 2003-04 season, when the Roadrunners finished undefeated and Student Sports magazine’s national champions. They are led by two underclassmen: sophomore forward Omar Laris, with 11 goals, and junior goalkeeper Gabriel Cueva, with eight shutouts. Saddleback enters the playoffs on an eight-game winning streak.

Contenders: Santa Ana (18-3-2, 8-1-1 Golden West No. 2), La Habra (21-3-1, 8-2-0 Freeway champion), Burbank Burroughs (18-6-2, 10-2-2 Pacific champion), Diamond Ranch (11-4-4, 6-1-1 Miramonte champion).

Dark horse: Anaheim (8-8-4, 5-4-1 Orange No. 3).

Division IV

Favorite: Santa Monica (21-0-1, 9-0-0 Ocean champions). It’s hard not to like the Vikings, the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, according to the latest National Coaches Soccer Assn. of America/ADDIDAS poll. Santa Monica comes into the playoffs having outscored its opponents, 35-2, in the last six games. Led by senior forward Artur Jozkowicz, with 12 goals and 16 assists, the Vikings have steamrolled their competition.

Contenders: Coachella Valley (14-1-1, 9-1-0 Desert Valley champions), Indio (18-3-3, 7-1-2 Desert Valley No. 2), Ganesha (16-3-3, 9-1-0 Valle Vista champions), North Torrance (13-5-1, 10-0-0 Pioneer champions).

Dark horse: Garden Grove Santiago (11-5-1, 8-2-0, Garden Grove No. 2).

Division V

Favorite: Defending champion Salesian (15-0-0, 10-0-0 Santa Fe champions). The Mustangs, currently on a 31-game winning streak, enter the playoffs having allowed only two goals all season. The last goal allowed came on Dec. 3, 2007. They’ve outscored their opponents 76-0 during that stretch.

Contenders: Carpinteria (13-7-3, 9-2-1 Tri-Valley champion), Hesperia (14-2-11, 3-0-5 Mojave River champions), Oaks Christian (14-4-3, 8-3-1 Tri-Valley No. 2), Mountain View (16-4-5, 5-1-4 Mission Valley champion).

Dark horse: Sultana (15-5-4, 4-2-2 Mojave River No. 3).

Division VI

Favorite: Defending champion Animo Leadership (20-2-3, 12-0-0 Harbor champions). The Aztecs are an amazing 50-2-3 over the last two seasons. Forwards Damian Hidalgo, a senior, and Missael Moreno, a sophomore, lead the team with 24 goals each. Moreno also leads the team with 14 assists. It’s hard to imagine, but this is only the sixth season of varsity soccer at the school.

Contenders: Arrowhead Christian (19-0-3, 7-0-1 Christian champions), Desert Hot Springs (11-5-4, 6-0-1 De Anza champions), Dunn (11-2-1, 7-1-0 Condor champions), Montclair Prep (14-1-2, 8-0-0 Delphic champions).

Dark horse: Oxford Academy (10-2-3, 7-0-2 Academy No. 2).

-- Jaime Cardenas