The Malibu High School boys soccer players have returned from their Christmas break-and into the second half of a winning 2011-2012 season-to discover that they’ve been ranked by a major sports Web site as one of the best soccer teams in the country.
The Sharks currently place 93rd nationwide and 50th statewide on MaxPreps, a CBS sports Web site that tracks the activities of high school sports teams. Sporting an undefeated 6-0 record, both players and coaches are hoping that the latter half of the winter soccer season will bring not only playoff gold, but an ascent up the rankings ladder.
“It’s something that we’ve been keeping our eyes on,” Sharks assistant coach Ignacio Rodriguez said. “The kids are really into it because they get exposure Š and can keep track of individual stats.”
In his first year heading up the boys’ program, Sharks head coach Lloyd Kinnear says he hopes to get the team into the top 20 nationwide. That could very well be a realistic goal for this team, which has nearly surpassed last season’s 6-8-2 record already and is playing its best soccer in a decade.
With more than 1,000 teams accounted for in the rankings, to place in the nationwide top 100 gives MHS an auspicious accomplishment. But the key will be how Malibu stacks up against other nearby teams as it guns for a berth in the playoffs. The Sharks are currently ranked 21st among Southern California schools. The state numbers could make all the difference in the Sharks reaching a California Interscholastic Federation Division title, something they haven’t mustered for 11 long years.
“Hopefully, halfway through the season, we’ll see if we get ranked a little higher, which will help us in playoffs,” Kinnear said.
The Sharks’ undefeated streak began in November with victories over Crossroads and Grace Brethren high schools (4-3 and 4-0, respectively). Malibu then hosted St. Bonaventure in early December to a solid 8-1 win, but their real streak began with their last three wins. The Sharks ended 2011 by blowing out Milken 5-0, Buckley 8-0 and Viewpoint 4-0. This decade-long awakening of perfect soccer establishes somewhat of a new record at MHS; according to Kinnear, it’s the first time in 10 years that the Sharks have won six games in a row, with three wins in a row their previous best effort.
Kinnear says that the team benefits from strong playing both offensively and defensively, such as striker Adam Fote, midfielder Giovanni Landou, and fullbacks Luke Campbell and Jake Gooden. Part of the Sharks’ current success is attributed to the mix of athletic experience with new blood-the team benefits from the return of 14 new players and the entry of eight new MHS students.
The Sharks’ ultimate goal is to become the number one soccer team in the state, which would mean winning their first league title in four years.
As the second phase of the season starts, will the Sharks replicate their streak of undefeated success? The holidays were no break for the team, as the players practiced and trained daily (sans Christmas and New Year’s) for their Jan. 4 match against Santa Clara.
Kinnear says that his kids are psyched and pumped to play the second half of their season on a winning note, and that the team spirit is felt mutually all around. “I believe in the players, and I think the players believe in me,” he said.
The Sharks’ rankings can be seen online at www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/malibu-sharks-(malibu,ca)/soccer-winter/home.htm