Danny's Picks: Soccer players to watch in 2024

Danny's picks: Football players to watch in 2024

EDITOR'S NOTE: Observer correspondent Daniel Zuniga will be doing a series of articles leadi…

EDITOR'S NOTE: Observer correspondent Daniel Zuniga will be doing a series of articles leading into the fall sports season on standout athletes in each sport from Cleveland High School, Rio Rancho High School and Bernalillo High School. This week, he takes a look at soccer.

The high school soccer season is almost here, and it is time for me to unveil some players that I am excited to watch. In order to compile these lists, I have spoken to some coaches, watched any film that I could get access to, read articles on these players, looked at statistics for the respective teams, and viewed tournament results. I also watched at least two games of each team from the past year except for the Bernalillo programs. I watched one girls game and watched zero boys games (that will change this season). I ,of course, wanted to include more players for each team and would love to hear who you are excited to see!

Cleveland High School

Boys

Goalkeeper Joaquin Armijo (senior): Armijo is a four-year varsity letterman and has earned two straight first team All-State selections. Armijo has just about everything you want in a goalkeeper: great awareness, agility, technically sound and he has fantastic, albeit elite, reflexes and quickness. The cherry on top is he's an elite communicator. Let's not forget it's the keeper's job to organize the defense and ensure that the defenders are in the correct positions. Put all those traits together, and you get a guy who makes 14 saves against Centennial. Fourteen saves! Can we also talk about how crazy the Cleveland goalkeeper pipeline is? Cory Jenkins, Dominic Valenzuela, Ryan Watson, Joaquin Armijo. Expect Armijo to have another stellar season and have some college offers (if he hasn’t received any already).

Defender Juan Ramirez (senior): I have spoken with a handful of CHS soccer coaches who rave about Ramirez. I also spoke to a teacher at CHS who raves about him too. High character is a very important trait in sports, and Ramirez has it. I saw a little bit of him in off-season practices, and the dude can make some fantastic tackles. A hard worker and a superb center back, expect Ramirez to be a key focal point in the Storm's new formation look. He also wears number 15, which was the number that I wore my senior year when I played for Cleveland … you love to see it!

Midfielder Dakota Jones (junior): Jones is a big, strong outside midfielder for the Storm, and I believe he is about to take a big leap this season. My favorite thing when I watch Jones is that he is such a selfless player. He distributes the ball with ease and can send some pretty crossers to his teammates. In some of the games that I saw last year, when he did play, I also liked his tenacity when he was a defender. Jones is a second-year letterman and has all the potential to change some games with his hustle. Expect his minutes, and role, to increase.

Girls

Forward Arissa C’de Baca (senior): C’de Baca is coming off a season where she had eight assists, scored 20 goals and earned a first-team All-State nod. She is clearly one of the top players in the state and probably the best at finishing and shooting. She is physical with wimpy defenders and has a cannon on her foot. In my opinion, the most impressive thing about C’de Baca’s game is her ability to close out games: She finished with six game-winning goals. When the Storm needed to pull away and secure the victory, C’de Baca put the ball in the net. I’m pretty confident that C’de Baca is in the Gatorade Player of the Year conversation already, and I cannot wait to see her play.

Midfielder/forward Angeline Montoya (junior): Montoya finished the 2023 season with seven goals, five assists and was an important player for the girls state championship run. With the departure of blue-chip players like Ella Lent-Koop (the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year) and Rylie Pengelly (elite defender and hero the 2023 championship game), Montoya seems more than ready to step up to the plate and became a household name for the silver and electric blue. I am excited to see how her role expands on Rusk’s squad

Rio Rancho High School

Boys

Forward Aaron Meserve and midfielder Sean Meserve (senior): Aaron and Sean are brothers and offer incredible skill sets for Coach Shep's squad. Aaron is a lethal goal scorer, and Sean is a creative engine for making plays and through balls. I was able to catch RRHS vs. Volcano Vista last year and saw Aaron score three goals, and assisting one of the goals on the day was his brother Sean. Sean also had an impressive day against Sandia, where he was credited with two assists. During the 2023 season, the Meserve brothers accounted for 19 goals and seven assists. Both also earned second-team All-District honors and look poised to repeat as top talents for the Rams soccer team. Both display a killer instinct for scoring and setting up goals. I wouldn't be surprised if they combine for 40 total goals and assists.

Footballer Bryson Strohecker (senior): You’re probably wondering why I put a footballer instead of his primary position, and that’s because his coaches feel confident enough to put him anywhere on the field without hesitation, hence his role as a footballer. Strohecker has played on varsity for four years now and has shown the rare ability to be a utility, Swiss army knife-type of talent. When I saw him on the field last year, he clearly had a high game IQ, sends crisp passes, has a clean, effortless first touch, and was an impressive processor. It’s no wonder he was a second-team All-District selection last year. Fun fact: Strohecker was a kicker for the RRHS football team last year. This guy does it all and is a true baller.

Girls

Defender Lauryn Machuzak (senior): Machuzak has been on varsity ever since her sophomore year and was primed for an exceptional senior year under first year head coach Jenna Sievers. Unfortunately, Machuzak tore her ACL and meniscus during off-season club play and will miss most, if not all, of the high school soccer season. I was happy to hear that she is on the road to recovery with the aid of medical professionals and is on track to return to the field. Awesome news! Nonetheless, she will get her recognition for being an exceptional soccer player. Although her primary position is a defender, Machuzak is capable of playing any of the field positions and also displays a deep understanding of the game. On top of her versatility, she has incredible game speed, ball control, a knack for scoring goals (had four in 2023) and displays impressive field vision. It also doesn’t hurt that Machuzak is clearly passionate about the game. I cannot wait to see her on the field again!

Wing/midfielder/outside back Kendall Sullivan (junior): Sullivan finished the 2023 campaign with second-team All-District honors, six goals and three assists. On top of being the Rams’ top returning goal scorer, she is a hard worker on the field and a very passionate player, which is no surprise since she was one of the team's captains. Sullivan is lethal when it comes to set pieces and is very vocal on the field. It is always a benefit to the team when one of the star players is a coach on the field, too. She is the perfect fit for Rams soccer and is prepared to do whatever it takes for her team to win games this season. Sullivan will play a major role for the team.

Bernalillo High School

Boys

Midfielder/forward Edwin Cadelas (junior): I have not seen a Bernalillo soccer game and was unable to access any film. However, when I looked at some statistics, I saw that a player named Edwin Cadelas scored 32 goals in 2023. I looked a little deeper and found out that Cadelas has been on varsity for two years and already has scored 46 goals in his career. At his pace, he will have scored more than 100 goals in his career. Those are FIFA numbers. I haven't seen this guy live, except a PK against Hope, but I am amped to check him out this season.

Girls

Goalkeeper Nickelette Aceves (senior): Aceves has been a mainstay in the Bernalillo soccer program, and for good reason: She has got some moves and good lateral movement. She can make some pretty surprising saves when it matters the most. This is a program that has only won seven games in the past two years, but it is nice to see Aceves heading on the right trajectory as far as growth and poise. I look forward to seeing the work that Aceves and the rest of the girls have put into this offseason.