Franklin High School, which beat then nationally ranked Davis 2-0 last week in a Delta Valley Conference match, is playing for the present and for the future at the same time.
First-year varsity coach Eliseo Lopez has a senior-dominated starting lineup that is 15-0-3 entering today's game against Elk Grove. But he also has a talented group from a JV program that went 17-0-1 last season waiting in the wings.
Junior midfielder Meka Ofodire, one of two non-seniors in the starting lineup, is arguably the team's best player. He's a crafty playmaker who leads the team with 17 goals and 11 assists.
"He isn't afraid to take defenders on one on one," Lopez said. "And he has great vision."
But he's only a part of an explosive offense.
Senior forward Alex Acosta has 15 goals and 13 assists and was named the MVP of the recent Folsom Tournament.
"Alex is one of the fastest kids in the school," Lopez said. "Last year he only had a handful of goals because he was playing on the wing. He's much more dangerous now that he's up the top near the goal."
Senior forward and team captain Jameil Hall has seven goals and nine assists.
"They work so well together," Lopez said of of his trio of scorers.
The supporting cast includes the Azevedo brothers, Zach at outside forward and Alex at sweeper; gritty 5-foot-5 stopper Travis Lloyd; heady goalie Frank Vang; outside midfielder and team captain Anthony Velasquez; and defender Myles Baxter, all seniors. Starting sophomore midfielder Javier Lopez is the only underclassman on the roster.
There also is plenty of depth, with 10 other juniors on the roster waiting their turn to contribute.
"We have 23 players, so we already have the starting 11 for next year in place," Coach Lopez said. "The kids are headed down the right path. The chemistry is all there."
Lopez says the winning has sparked a lot of interest in the soccer team at the school, especially with the football team 1-4.
"We've kind of played in the football team's shadow," Lopez said. "But on Wednesday against Davis there were 200 or 300 people watching the match. That's something new for the kids."
