The year before Joel Fumia took over the reins of the Los Gatos High School boys soccer program, the Wildcats finished 2-8-1 in the SCVAL De Anza Division, a last-place finish that earned them a demotion to the SCVAL’s lower El Camino Division.
In three seasons with Fumia at the helm, Los Gatos has reached the Central Coast Section playoff semifinals and finals while earning its way back to the ultra-competitive De Anza Division. Expectations have risen for the program, a testament to how far the Wildcats have come in a relatively short time.
“Overall, I feel good about the team,” Fumia said. “It should hopefully be a good season for us. We are a young team, but we are pretty talented and probably a little more talented than last year’s team.”
Los Gatos returns all-league forward Max Lees, a four-year varsity player who is dangerous in 1-v-1 situations, on set pieces and in the open field.
“Not to put too much pressure on Max, but we expect him to have a great year,” Fumia said. “He’s already having a good year. He’s been sharp so far, he’s our captain and obviously a big part of our team.”
If Los Gatos can consistently get the ball to the opposing third of the field, they’ll be in good shape. That’s because Lees, Cristian Zisa and freshman Samuel Olivella have a knack for creating scoring opportunities with their playmaking ability.
“Our front three is obviously a strength,” Fumia said. “We feel really good about our front line and the speed and pace at which they play.”
Los Gatos has been particularly strong at goalkeeper the last few years, and this season is no exception. In Aiden Kenney and Callan Robison, the Wildcats have two capable difference-makers as the last line of defense.
Senior Atsuya Kashima leads the midfield, both with his skill and experience in specific game situations. Kashima was on the team as a sophomore, but elected to skip the high school season as a junior. It’s safe to say Fumia is pleased to have Kashima back on the team.
“Atsuya is another leader and probably our best midfielder,” Fumia said.
Fumia’s nephew, William, has also been solid in the midfield. Fumia has been pleased with the improvement of the backline. Hugo Baring and Max Wendt play the center back positions, while Toma Raux-Moriwaki and Brooks Moseley are the right and left backs, respectively.
“The backline is a work in progress,” Fumia said. “That’s our most thin position, the center backs. But we’ve figured out a back four that we feel good about. They’re doing well so far.”
As a testament to the incoming talent, Fumia is carrying three freshmen—Moseley, Olivella and Benny Wendt—on the team after having just one freshman on the roster the previous three years combined. Fumia thinks the freshmen are ready to contribute; otherwise, he would place them on the junior varsity squad where they could play the entire game.
“These freshmen are expected to make an impact and play minutes,” Fumia said. “We have a good combination of talented young players and some returning guys who have been a part of some achieving teams the last couple of years.”
The Wildcats have posted some nice results so far, earning victories over Westmont and Willow Glen mixed in with a loss to a very tough Leigh team.
“The non-league preseason is sort of a discovery period, and you’re trying to figure out what you have,” Fumia said. “Which new guys are coming up and who’s going to step up and perform? You’re constantly evaluating and trying to figure out your best 11 players and lineups.”
Last season, Los Gatos finished 5-7-2 in the De Anza Division, a respectable mark in one of the toughest leagues in the CCS.
“The league is really tough,” Fumia said. “It’s hard to win the league, but the goal is always to get to the playoffs. If we can challenge for the top of the league, it’s a bonus. But that’s a huge, tall order because of the quality of teams like Mountain View and Los Altos, who are always good.”
