Boys soccer: San Rafael High set to host second Mission City Invitational
For the next three days, some of the top high school soccer teams from Northern and Central California will take the field at San Rafael High to compete in the second annual Mission City Invitational.
Last season’s field included two teams that would go on to win NorCal Championships in Everett Alvarez and Archie Williams, plus a slew of other teams – Tam, Terra Linda, and Granada – that would win or reach a North Coast Section final.
“Toward the end of season in February and March we noticed the success some of the teams that participated in it were having and that really inspired us to continue to grow,” tournament founder and San Rafael assistant coach Jose De La Rosa said. “Teams like Everest Alvarez who won the NorCal Division I championship against De La Salle and went undefeated the whole season and we invited them to our tournament. They had incredible games. Archie had an incredible season.
“We were able to find teams that we knew can compete at a very high level and that play a similar play style of moving the ball and creating chances.”
This year De La Rosa and Jeremie Brunet looked to expand the invitational while bringing back many of the same teams that made the inaugural tournament such a success.
“I think the moment we went into Day 2, that Friday, we were talking to each other like this is something we want to continue doing for 10, 15, 20 more years and just continue growing it,” Brunet said. “Our big moment when we received a bunch of feedback from coaches that participated in it and they said that was one of the coolest things to have ball boys, a great atmosphere, a great event. … From there our focus to kind of up level this year was to expand into another section so this year we expanded into the Central Section so we’re bringing two teams [Sanger and Madera South] in from the Central Section.”
MCAL stalwarts Tam, Terra Linda, and Archie Williams are all coming back for Year 2. A last-minute scheduling change has cross-town rivals Terra Linda and San Rafael playing in the opening game at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
“Both San Rafael teams that represent the Mission City are opening up the Mission City Invitational,” Brunet said. “We’ve tried our best to find as many teams as possible but when there’s a last-minute change, you have to adapt and go.”
Archie Williams is set to clash with Ukiah at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in a rematch of the 2024 NCS Division III title game won 2-0 by Ukiah.
The Peregrine Falcons played perhaps the most memorable game of the inaugural invitational, falling behind 5-0 against Granada before rallying to within 6-4. Archie Williams and Granada went on to meet again for the NCS D-II title – a game the Peregrine Falcons won 3-2 on a free-kick goal by Jackson Richardson in the 69th minute.
“Our goal is to create the most competitive games,” Brunet said of the invitational matchups. “Last year, if I’m not mistaken, every game was within one goal. I think there might have been one two-goal game but our goal was to make it high action – super, super competitive.”
Archie Williams also faces Alisal (Salinas) on Friday. Tam is set to face Vintage and TL faces Madera South on Saturday. San Rafael closes the tournament against NorCal D-IV runner up Gonzales at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
As the Bulldogs did last year, a percentage of the gate revenue will be given to a San Rafael nonprofit organization.
“For where a lot of our boys grow up, soccer is the main sport for them and they really love it,” De La Rosa said. “Bringing that quality soccer and that community feel from having America Scores providing ball boys and ball girls during all the games that we have scheduled to us giving back to a community nonprofit, I think that is a big component for us.
“I’d say I’m a big community person. San Rafael is my community. I went to San Rafael High School. Our whole coaching staff went to San Rafael High School so for us community has always been a very big component.”
Tournament schedule
Thursday: Terra Linda vs. San Rafael, 3:30 p.m.; Madera South vs. Valley, 5:30 p.m.; Archie Williams vs. Ukiah, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Granada vs. Gonzales, 3:30 p.m.; Alisal vs. Archie Williams, 5:30 p.m.; Sanger vs. Everett Alvarez, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Terra Linda vs. Madera South, 9:30 a.m.; Valley vs. Alisal, 11:30 a.m.; Ukiah vs. Sanger, 1:30 p.m.; Everett Alvarez vs. Richmond, 3:30 p.m., Tam vs. Vintage, 5:30 p.m.; Gonzales vs. San Rafael, 7:30 p.m.