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LA DAILY NEWS 2023 ALL-AREA BOYS SOCCER

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Oscar Vargas, Birmingham, Sr.

Birmingham boys soccer was leading 1-0 at the half in the Los Angeles City Section championship game, but that wasn’t quite good enough for the Patriots.

“I told them that we didn’t make it this far for us not to finish he second half in a strong way,” senior Oscar Vargas said. “Everybody on the team made sacrifices and this is where we reward the people that made sacrifices.”

Birmingham went on to score two more goals after Vargas’ halftime speech. His leadership had grown to that level over the course of the season, and so had his abilities on the field.

Vargas had played in attacking positions prior to this season, but was moved exclusively to striker when he transferred into Birmingham. Although it took him some time to fully transition to the role of finisher, Vargas ended the season with a team-high 29 goals and 16 assists.

Birmingham Charter boys soccer players (L-R) Steven Ramos, Oscar Vargas and Diego Ceja will look to lead the Patriots to a City title this postseason. (Photo by Haley Sawyer, Contributor)

He scored a goal in every game except for three, and had eight games with two or more goals.

“At the start of the season, I wasn’t really shooting,” he said. “I wasn’t used to scoring all the goals. It wasn’t until my coaches were showing me film and telling me when to turn and shoot and be in the right places that I started scoring every game.”

He was just three goals shy of the all-time Birmingham record. The team, however, reached a new program best in terms of goals with 129.

Vargas said that he was more concerned about winning than chasing an individual record and had an overall concern for the team this season. He established himself as a leader on the team by being perceptive to his teammates’ emotions and checking in with them the same day if something seemed amiss.

“He came in and right from the beginning, he started performing at practices and then he asked other guys to step up and they did,” coach EB Madha said. “They followed him and I think that’s his personality and his ability to show what he can do and others tend to follow it. They say that there’s natural born leaders. He’s one.”

Birmingham Charter’s Oscar Vargas (#21) is the Daily News 2023 boys soccer player of the year. (Photo courtesy of Birmingham Athletics)

Birmingham started the City Section playoffs with a 7-0 shutout against South East, the team that beat the Patriots in the previous season’s championship game, then went on to outscore its playoff opponents 13-1 on its way to a Division I title.

“My man goal was to win and that’s what we got,” Vargas said. “I’m happy with it.”

-Haley Sawyer

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Zach Harris, Oak Park, Sr.

Harris was the best offensive player on the area’s only CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff team, leading Oak Park to an 8-0 Coastal Canyon League campaign and into the section’s top division.

Harris scored a team-high 21 goals in 13 matches and added 12 assists for a total of 54 points for the Eagles, tallied 59 goals on the season. Harris accounted for roughly one-third of the team’s shots that hit the back of the net.

Harris earned All-CIF honors and is committed to play at Cal State Northridge.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Joe Barcenas, Birmingham, Sr.

Barcenas was a key defenseman in Birmingham’s dominating road to another City Section crown. The senior All-City selection helped the Patriots forge what could be the program’s best defensive teams ever, allowing just 16 goals to be scored in 27 matches.

Birmingham outscored its opponents 53-4 in West Valley League play, 127-16 overall, and allowed just one goal in the team’s City final win over El Camino Real (3-1).

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Ethan Murillo, Saugus (GK)

Among the most notable boys soccer leagues in the area – West Valley, Mission, Coastal Canyon, and Marmonte – Murillo was the only freshman to earn all-league recognition in the Foothill League.

The freshman goalie was in the net for 14 matches, allowed just one goal per game, posted two shutouts, and notched 52 saves.

He notched a season-high 10 saves in Saugus’ 2-2 tie against Hart on Jan. 19 and tallied five saves or more five times this season.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Jose Mejia, St. Genevieve

Mejia led St. Genevieve to the program’s first CIF title when it beat Oxford Academy 3-1 in the Southern Section Division 7 final on Feb. 25. Not only did Mejia forge a historic season for the program, but etched the season in school lore by winning the institutions first CIF crown since 1978 in any sport.

St. Genevieve boys soccer wins school’s first CIF title in any sport since 1978

The Valiants finished the season 15-5-2 overall.

DAILY NEWS ALL-AREA TEAM

William Sherwood, Harvard-Westlake, Sr. (GK)

Ryan Chu, Oak Park, Sr. (GK)

Kevin Lifonzo, Sun Valley Poly, Sr.

Anthony Villa, El Camino Real, Jr.

Rowan Heidt, Oak Park, Sr.

Diego Ceja, Birmingham, Sr.

Theo Ottosson, Harvard-Westlake, So.

Ryder Perdigao, Chaminade, Sr.

Matt Sheen, Crescenta Valley, Sr.

Justin Sosa, Agoura, Sr.

Matthew LeValley, Agoura, Sr.

Damon Smith, Quartz Hill, Sr.

Trenton Rickard, Hart, Sr.

Gilberto Chavez, St. Genevieve, Sr.

Jaden Nachimzon, Westlake, Sr.

Dylan Roslauski, Newbury Park, Sr.

Christian Hernandez, Golden Valley, Sr.

Ryland Balley, Eagle Rock, Sr.

Jefferson Parada, Reseda, Jr.

Bladimir Coto, El Camino Real, So.