All-IVL soccer selections spotlight Valley’s finest
EL CENTRO — Last week, the Holtville Lady Vikings, the last local team still alive and kicking in the CIF-SDS soccer playoffs, fell to the Kearny Komets 1-0 in the Division V semifinals, tying a bow on high school soccer in the Imperial Valley for 20192020.
With soccer neatly concluded, Imperial Valley League coaches have voted on the season’s top players.
Unlike last year, when Player of the Year honors went to stars on runner-up squads in Brawley’s Kristelle Silva and Central’s Jose Berlin-Torres, this year’s MVPs were league champs.
Fleet-footed Calexico forward Alejandro Serrano was given top notice for the boys, while Central scoring threat Dayleth Palacios was singled out among the girls.
Coach of the Year honors, however, went to two head honchos of squads that, though they didn’t come all that close to titles, made significant improvements from last year to this one.
Frank Felix coached the Brawley boys to a 12-8-5 finish (including a playoff win), doubling the Wildcats’ win total from 2018-2019. For a time, the Wildcats looked like they might be contenders for a league crown before a series of devastating injuries arrested their momentum.
Nicholas Moreno, meanwhile, coached the previously mentioned Holtville girls’ team. The Vikings also doubled their win total from 2018-2019. Their 12-12-1 finish makes 2019-2020 their first .500 or better season since 2013-2014.
The complete All-IVL teams are included below:
Boys’ All-IVL
Coach of the Year – Frank Felix (Brawley)
Player of the Year – Alejandro Serrano (Calexico, Sr.)
First Team
Xavier Pereyda (Brawley, Sr.) Jorge Haro (Brawley, So.) Jesus Solorio (Calexico, Sr.) Jose Berlin-Torres (Central, Sr.) Vasilios Syrengelas (Central, Sr.) Diego Anchondo (Central, Sr.) Isaiah Wood (Central, Sr.) Lenny Garcia (Imperial, So.) Gustavo Estrada (Southwest, Sr.) Ivan Carrillo (Southwest, Sr.)
Second Team
Jose Monzon (Brawley, Sr.) Joel Murillo (Brawley, Sr.) Uriel Benavides (Brawley, Sr.) Dithier Beltran (Calexico, Jr.) Andres Alcala (Calexico, Sr.) Jesus Marquez (Central, Sr.) Andy Rios (Holtville, Sr.) Aizik Gonzalez (Palo Verde, So.) Jordan Villareal (Palo Verde, Jr.) Brandon Machado (Palo Verde, Sr.) German Molina (Southwest, So.)
Girls’ All-IVL
Coach of the Year – Nicholas Moreno (Holtville)
Player of the Year – Dayleth Palacios (Central, Sr.)
First Team
Andrea Garcia (Brawley, Sr.) Laisha Delgado (Calexico, Sr.) Elisa Campos (Calexico, Sr.) Carly Nava (Central, Sr.) Amanda Strahm (Holtville, Jr.) Jazmine Velasquez (Holtville, Sr.) Denisia Aragon (Imperial, Fr.) Viviana Espino (Imperial, Fr.) Ivana Castro (Southwest, Jr.) Jazlyn Peraza (Southwest, Jr.)
Second Team
Mayola Valencia (Brawley, So.)
Dana Alvarado (Brawley, Sr.)
Melissa Diaz (Brawley, Sr.)
Maribell Maldonado (Calexico, Jr.)
Leanna Gonzalez (Central, Sr.)
Aliah Auyon (Central, Sr.)
Akame Murakami (Holtville, Fr.)
Rebecca Rodriguez (Imperial, So.)
Carleigh Ashurst (Southwest, So.)
Angela Delgadi l lo (Southwest, Jr.)
Aaliyah Felix ( Southwest, Sr.)