Boys soccer preview: Coronado looks for repeat 5A state title

Coronado boys soccer coach Dustin Barton admitted he was a little nervous when his team entered last year’s Class 5A playoffs

Barton’s starting lineup was sophomore-heavy and didn’t have a lot of postseason experience. But the Cougars put their coach’s worries to rest as they went on to win the 5A state title.

“We reacted well,” Barton said. “With that experience, it’s going to be even better going through this year.”

Coronado enters this season as a favorite to repeat with most of its starting lineup returning. The boys soccer season begins Thursday. Bishop Gorman, Coronado and Faith Lutheran will all head to South Tahoe for a tournament against Northern teams starting Friday.

Among notable returners for Coronado are Grayson Elisaldez, Dylan Flores, Aiden Sena and goalie Logan Pierce. All four were sophomores last season and first-team All-Southern Nevada selections.

Barton said the goal early is to work on offensive and defensive schemes.

“The chemistry is going to be good,” Barton said. “We want to finish a little stronger this year. One of our biggest goals is to finish more consistently and get better every day. We had some games that we didn’t finish as well as we should have.”

Palo Verde and Bishop Gorman are also expected to be atop the 5A Southern League. Palo Verde defeated Coronado in last year’s Southern League title game but lost to the Cougars in the 5A title game.

The Panthers return just six players from last year’s team, including Evan Odle and Francesco Traniello. Coach Scott Hunt said he expects players from a strong junior varsity team last season to contribute this year.

“We’ll be strong, but it’ll be a bit different,” Hunt said. “It’s so many new faces, it may take awhile to get things together. … If we can get ahold of it early, hopefully, we can do well and see how things go.”

Gorman, which won the 5A state title in 2022, has a new coach. Victor “Boomer” Arbelaez Jr., a former standout Gorman and UNLV soccer player, takes over after being an assistant last season. His father, Victor Arbelaez, coached Gorman in the 1990s and 2000s.

“Three-quarters of my team are upperclassmen, juniors and seniors, so it looks very promising,” Arbelaez Jr. said. “We started off pretty slow last year and ended pretty well. I’m looking forward to seeing how we shape up this season.”

The Gaels have arguably the top player in the city with forward Chase Stewart. The junior was the 5A offensive player of the year, scoring 25 goals and adding 11 assists.

“I’m very excited about this kid,” Arbelaez Jr. said. “He’s an incredible athlete, incredible player, so I’m looking forward to another amazing two years left with him.”

What hasn’t changed is the grind of league play. All 10 teams in the 5A Southern League will play each other twice before the top eight teams face off in the Southern League tournament to determine the two spots in the 5A state tournament.

“It’s a really rigorous league this year,” Barton said. “Last year, playing everybody twice and everybody was so strong. There are no days off. You just got to come to play every game, and if you don’t, you’re going to get beat.”

In 4A, Sierra Vista should contend to repeat as state champion with forward Lazzar Ramos returning. The 4A Desert League offensive player of the year scored 29 goals last season.

SLAM Academy, last year’s 3A state runner-up, should be in the mix again. Luis Ortiz returns after winning the 3A golden boot for most goals with 30 and registering 20 assists.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.