The 2022-23 boys’ soccer season is in full swing, and Hesperia’s Jorge Negrete and Adelanto’s Damian Espinoza highlight the High Desert’s list of players to watch.
The Mojave River League has been a competitive league over the years, especially last year when Hesperia was squeezed by Oak Hills, Sultana, and Serrano for the league title. Hesperia took the title with a 7-3 record, while two draws for Oak Hills (6-2-2) proved to be the difference maker.
Hesperia graduated several key seniors, but Negrete, named to the All-CIF-Southern Section Div. 3 teams after the Scorpions appeared in the quarterfinals, returns for his junior season.
Negrete scored seven goals with six assists over 12 games as a sophomore.
Meanwhile, Espinoza is the only other player from the area returning in the Desert Sky League that earned an All-CIF-SS team nod. Espinoza received a spot on the Div. 6 teams after leading the Saints to the quarterfinals.
Espinoza scored 23 goals and five assists in his junior year while helping the Saints to a third-place finish in the league standings.
The league title race this year figures to come down to the same two teams from last year in Silverado, the reigning champion, and Granite Hills. But Espinoza’s scoring ability could help the Saints make a run to contend for the title.
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Silverado features a young team, with Kevin Barragan, a senior, as a key returner and a new coach.
Granite Hills ran to the Div. 5 quarterfinals last season and returns a strong core of young players, including Cesar Sainz and Zaine Rocca, who combined for 25 goals last season.
As for the MRL, it will be an exciting race for the league title that could see four teams in the mix, with Oak Hills, Sultana, and Serrano off to terrific starts to the season.
Serrano is coming off a 4-3 victory over Granite Hills earlier this week. Look for players such as Jimmy Castillo, Anthony Potter, and freshman Mando Espinoza.
Sultana is loaded with fresh faces, starting a handful of freshmen early in the season. The Sultans made some noise during the preseason after falling short in the Citrus Hills tourney earlier this week.
Oak Hills also has a strong core of returners, including midfielders Salomon Guzman and Edgar Alvarez, after making a run to the Div. 5 semifinals last season, beating Granite Hills in the quarterfinals.
Here’s a list of our local boys’ soccer players to watch this year, broken down by leagues.
