The boys’ soccer team is hoping to overcome the challenge of inexperience and a slow start to win the North Coast Section.

Co-captain Rodrigo Diaz-Valdes said, “We don’t have a lot of seniors, so it was kind of expected to be the underdogs.”

According to coach Shane Carney, there are 7 sophomores on the team, many of them starters. He’s satisfied with their consistent play and believes the team has “a realistic chance to win.” He said they “get better with each game.”

Diaz-Valdes said, “What is key to our success is that for the young guys on the team [to remember] is that Campo soccer is more than just a team, it’s a family.”

Co-captain Kian Maghsoodnia said the team needs to focus on “putting away our chances,” or putting the ball in the net when they have the chance to score. He said they lose possession because “sometimes we lack focus or composure.”

The team is currently 2nd in the DFAL, with 7 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie. Overall, they have 14 wins, 5 losses, and 2 ties.

The first NCS game is on February 13th. Going into the NCS games, Carney is confident. “We think we have a chance to beat them.” He added, “We’re not afraid of anybody.”

Over the course of the season, the team has won 2 games against Miramonte, once on December 7 (4-2) and again on January 18 (2-0). They defeated Las Lomas on January 30 (2-1), and tied with Acalanes on January 11 (0-0).  “If we saw [Acalanes] again… We’d be ready,” Maghsoodnia said.