I have read countless posts on this blog about how the only real soccer is being played in academy soccer, and the boys who aren’t serious about the game are stuck playing in high school.

Saddleback's David Zepeda

Well, those kinds of comments undercut everything that these players, who are loyal to their schools, have been doing this month.

True there are gifted players in academy soccer, but there is a lot of talent left on the high school field as well.

I covered the sport when kids such as Danny Califf and Tomas Serna were on the field, and I have seen some kids this year who would have been able to keep up with them.

(Which brings up something else. Califf always seemed to make some time for his high school team before heading off to play in Egypt or some other exotic place.)

Playing high school sports just seems to make the four years you spend in a school mean a bit more. OK, that’s my two cents worth, now onto what this post is really about.

The top 11 players in December that I HAVE SEEN (notice those words that are capitalized. I haven’t seen La Habra, Troy or JSerra, among others).

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