A year ago, the Bonita Vista High School boys soccer team suffered through one of its worst seasons in school history. Winning just a single league game en route to a 4-14-3 overall record, the Barons finished dead last in Metro-Mesa League competition. There was nowhere to go but up this year, and what a difference a year makes!
Under first-year coach Tracy Powell, this year’s Barons team has rocketed to a 9-2-3 record and extended its current unbeaten streak to 11 games (including three ties) after recording a 2-0 victory against visiting Mar Vista last Friday. In the process, the Barons took top honors at the Grossmont Holiday Tournament and look like strong contenders to make some noise once league play begins on Jan. 20.
Powell, a well-known figure in local soccer circles, was a stalwart defender at Cal-State San Bernardino before coaching various club teams. He is cautiously optimistic about the current season and sees plenty of talent on his roster, especially on defense.
“My leader and most outstanding player is senior ‘Chone’ Hampson-Medina,” Powell noted “He is a captain and plays as our attacking midfielder. Tactically, he is great, he is good in the air and he has excellent vision. He is solid all around and very strong physically. ‘Chone’ wins a lot of balls for us and then directs the ball to wherever it needs to go. In addition, he hustles back to help out on defense.”
While Hampson-Medina could no doubt play Division I soccer, his academic plans to attend a top university might take precedence over his athletic pursuits.
“The strength of this team is on defense and Matthew Michaud is the leader on our back line,” Powell said. “He is a pure athlete who plays several sports well. Matthew has great touch, soccer intelligence and holds the back line together. He rarely makes mistakes.”
Michaud, a junior, is flanked by Shai Romano, Andrew Roman and sophomore Faustino Hampson-Medina. “It is very tough to beat my back row,” Powell said.
The already solid Baron defense will get a boost when starting goalkeeper Varuzhan Horhanesian returns from his family trip to Armenia. He has formidable size, knows the game and understands how to cover the angles.
Besides team leader “Chone” Hampson-Medina, the midfield features junior Ronnie Beeson.
“Ronnie is another college (caliber) player,” Powell noted “He’s a very smart, coachable player. Ronnie really knows the game. Offensively, he is unbeatable and is one of our leading scorers.”
Another midfielder worth noting is transfer Erik Garcia, another Division I college player, according to Powell. “He is short and stocky, but he is a game-changer,” the BVHS coach explained. “He makes our attack more dangerous by placing diagonal balls behind the defense.”
Garcia is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer. When he is distributing the ball, he often looks for striker Moises Flores.
“Moises is a skinny kid with exceptional balance,” Powell said. “Both Moises and Ronnie are averaging about two goals per game. Moises is great in the air and on the ground, hungry, aggressive and he possesses very good skills. It is difficult to get the ball away from him.”
On the wings the Barons often have Christian Nicasio and Ricardo Sanchez.
“Christian is a flashy player with good ball skills,” Powell said. “He is very good at breaking down a defense with his stop and go style and his speed. Ricardo has great endurance and could run up and down the flank all day.”
One other player of note is versatile senior David Melendrez. Melendrez comes off the bench and contributes from wherever he is placed. He’s been used so far on defense, in the midfield and up front. His adaptability will come in handy down the stretch when injuries crop up or when the starters become unavailable.
All in all, there is a lot of optimism as the Barons prepare for their tough league opponents.
Metro Conference Non-League Standings
Metro-Mesa League
•Bonita Vista Barons 9-2-3
•Otay Ranch Mustangs 5-3-3
•Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 3-2-3
•Olympian Eagles 5-5-2
•Eastlake Titans 2-4-2
Metro-Pacific League
•Castle Park Trojans 8-2-1
•Chula Vista Spartans 8-2-2
•Hilltop Lancers 4-3-5
•Sweetwater Red Devils 1-7-1
Metro-South Bay League
•Montgomery Aztecs 8-3-3
•Southwest Raiders 6-3-2
•San Ysidro Cougars 6-3-1
•Mar Vista Mariners 4-5-2
