Dark horse: With new faces, soccer looks to shock VOL

Manteca High Boys’ Soccer team coach, James Burns, talking to the team in a huddle at the Manteca High practice field on Oct. 31, 2023.  

By BRIAN COBIAN
The Tower

The Manteca High School boys soccer team is gearing up for its 2023-24 season, hoping to show off its skills and talent on the field with the additions of head coach James Burns, Ethan Fraser, a transfer from Sierra High, and talent from the lower levels.

As the soccer season approaches the players and coaches train and ready themselves as a new era of the Buffaloes begins. Manteca hopes to erase the narrative of being deemed poor and look to become massive underdogs and potentially make some noise in the Valley Oak League.

“We have a lot of talent, like most of the younger kids are actually really good. They’ve been playing club and stuff,” said Matthew Kong, a fourth-year varsity defender.

The Manteca High soccer team has not had a winning season since 2016, when they finished with 11 wins, nine losses, and three draws. Their record since 2017 has been 16 wins, 74 losses with 10 draws, and not a single win against its crosstown rivals Sierra and East Union high schools. Last season the Buffaloes only won one game.

The team is confident they can break the curse.

“I definitely think there's a possibility. I know EU has had some transfers, but I think Sierra should definitely look out and EU shouldn't sleep on us either,” Kong said.

Last year, Manteca suffered one of their worst seasons in school history. After the season, Manteca High moved away from its junior varsity eand varsity coaches. In March, the school announced the hiring of former Sierra High women’s soccer assistant and current coach of Manteca Futbol Club (MFC) James Burns to take over for the 2023-24 season.

Burns didn’t think he would be in this position.

“When I came to Manteca High, I had no intention on coaching soccer here. I thought maybe I’d help the girls soccer program, because I know (coaches) Justin Coenenberg and Johnny Avila well,” Burns said. “I saw a need for a coach and I saw a need for stability. I got to know a lot of these boys last year and I got to see some of their struggles as a program and I knew there was an opportunity for me to come in and provide some structure.”

Talent soon followed.

Fraser is a forward who joined MHS as a transfer from Sierra High. His last game was in the 2022-23 season on varsity against East Union. He then left Sierra midway through the soccer season before eventually making the switch to Manteca High, one of Sierra’s rivals.

The Manteca High Boys’ Soccer team doing a passing drill at the Manteca High practice field on Oct. 31, 2023.  

“There’s been a huge difference,” Fraser said. “The program at Sierra, they used to run a bunch of scrimmages all the time for practices. Now that we have Burns, he runs a lot of patterns and a lot of drills that help with the team performance.”

Alejandro Perez is a returning varsity player heading into his final season. He, like the rest of the soccer players, wants shock the VOL, ending a years-long drought and obtain their first winning season since 2016.

“Yes, it for sure does feel a lot different. With Burns, I feel like he’s taken this more serious where everyone’s warming up and stretching well, so we’re not getting ourselves hurt and passing the ball and touching the ball well,” said Perez.

Manteca High student Puneet Sandhu contributed to this report.