The Dublin High Boys and Girls Soccer teams halted losing streaks and earned some much-needed points against California in action on Thursday. The Boys avenged an earlier loss to the Grizzlies by going on the road to win 1-0, while the Girls earned one point in the East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) standings by forging a 1-1 tie.
Entering the second half of the EBAL season, both teams are 4-4-3 overall. In order to qualify for the North Coast Section playoffs each team will need to finish with a record of .500 or above. However, that is going to be more difficult this year based upon their historic success in 2022 considering that the EBAL schedule is now constructed on a “Competitive Equity” scheduling model as opposed to the geographic divisions that the league schedule was previously based.
Considering that each team finished near the top of the standings in EBAL last year, they have each earned a spot in the EBAL Mountain Division. This means that they each have to play 2 matches against the top four teams from the 2022 standings and only one match against each of the teams that finished in the bottom half of EBAL last season. Every win and/or tie is of magnified importance, so it is particularly helpful for the Gaels to earn results over a strong team like California (7-2-3 in Girls, 7-5-1 in Boys).
This upcoming week features three really tough matches against San Ramon Valley (6:30), Monte Vista (6:30), and Granada (6:00). The Girls are home on Tuesday, January 24th, the Boys are home on Thursday, January 26th, and the Girls are home for Senior Night on Thursday, January 28th.
The Wolves’ Girls team is particularly strong at 14-1 while the Boys are also over .500 at 7-6-2. Monte Vista’s Boys team has played at an elite level and comes in with a record of 11-1-2, while the Girls come in with a mark of 5-1-4 including a 1-1 tie with Dublin in their encounter earlier this year. Granada’s Boys come in at 5-5 overall while their Girls’ team is 3-7-1.
Dublin’s Boys and Girls Basketball teams will also have three games in the upcoming week as they are taking on San Ramon Valley, Amador Valley, and Granada. All Varsity games are at 7:30 with the Girls playing at home on Tuesday, January 24th and Thursday, January 26th while the Boys are home for Senior Night against Granada on Saturday, January 28th. The Wolves (17-4) and Matadors (16-4) Boys teams are two of the top teams in the entire Bay Area, while the Girls’ matchups with Amador Valley and Granada will be pivotal in determining whether they will qualify for the NCS playoffs.
It proved to be a tough end of the week for both teams, as the Girls had a heart-breaking 54-53 home loss on Thursday to Foothill followed by a loss to Miramonte in the Carondelet Shootout on Saturday. The Boys suffered their first EBAL loss this year 58-56 on the road at De La Salle. The Boys are now 16-5 overall on the season while the Girls are 9-8 overall.
