After a handful of non-league games, local boys soccer teams will discover how they stack up- against some of the top teams from Southern California when the 47th annual South Holiday Boys Soccer Tournament begins Monday.
Thirty two teams will look to dethrone Palos Verdes, who defeated Redondo in the 2015 championship game. Competition will be held at South Torrance and Redondo Union High Schools beginning with Mira Costa’s game against Channel Islands at South High on Monday at 3 p.m.
The winner will face the South Torrance-Narbonne winner Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. at South High.
Redondo begins the tournament Tuesday hosting Leuzinger at 8 a.m. The winner plays the Marquez-Bishop Montgomery winner at 3:30 p.m. at Redondo.
Quarterfinals and semifinals will be held on Wednesday with placement games at South High on Thursday ending with the championship game at 3 p.m.
Now in his 24th year as head coach of the Mira Costa boys soccer team, Gary Smith is happy with the way the Mustangs have started the season.
Mira Costa defeated Torrance 3-1 on the road last Thursday then held off Animo Leadership for a 3-2 win Tuesday after Alex deSouza, Koa Work and Coleman Weaver scored first-half goals and goalkeeper Ethan Hsieh had eight saves in the second half.
The Mustangs will host South Torrance Thursday at 3 p.m.
Mira Costa has 11 seniors and 11 juniors on its squad led by senior co-captains and central defenders Brady Douglas and James Marsh.
“Our chemistry is very good,” Smith said. “I have two solid players at each position which allows for a nice rotation playing with high energy. I like our chances of doing well in the South Holiday Tournament.”
Smith is impressed with his two goalkeepers, senior Ethan Hsieh and junior Andrew Fasano. Senior returners Koa Work, Coleman Weaver, Trevor Taub and Max Taylor are expected to lead the Mustang offense.
Senior Michael Demarte anchors the defense while juniors Josh Rudow and midfielder Tanner Hong have earned starting roles as defenders.
After beginning the season with a 1-1 tie against Hawthorne, Redondo reeled off consecutive wins, defeating North Torrance 6-1 and Santa Monica 3-2.
The Sea Hawks traveled to take on Millikan Tuesday and will host Jordan in a non-league contest Thursday at 3 p.m.
“The team is improving every game,” said Redondo head coach Nacho Lopez. “We know that Millikan is a powerhouse so it will give us an idea of where we stand. We have talented players on the team, but we need to build good chemistry to be a strong and competitive team.”
Redondo is well-balanced, led by defenders Alvin Perez and Ricardo Estrada,midfielders Adam Yorke and Damian Sanchez along with forwards Azuna Sugahara and Noah Ristovski.
“We should be in good rhythm by the time we start playing the South Tournament,” Lopez said. “The best teams from the area are going to be there so it will be a good competition. Our expectation is to reach far in the tournament and play for the championship game. After the tournament we will evaluate our performance.”
For more information including brackets and times, visit southhighsoccer.com.
