His senior year certainly did not end the way that Jota Yamaguchi pictured, with a loss in the quarterfinals of the CCS Open Division playoffs. But that does little to take away the phenomenal season, or the impact made, by the Mitty senior midfielder and team captain who earned Midfielder of the Year honors in the rugged West Catholic Athletic League.

As the Monarchs went unbeaten throughout the regular season, Yamaguchi was the driving force in the middle, controlling the tempo and possession of each match. The four-year varsity player finishes his career as a three-time All-WCAL selection, earning first-team honors in each of the past two seasons. And as is quite often the case with standout leaders, Yamaguchi put up some of his best performances against some of the Monarchs’ top foes.

Facing Fresno County-Metro champion and Central Section Division I semifinalist Bullard, Yamaguchi notched a goal and an assist in a 3-0 victory. In a pair of draws against WCAL champion St. Ignatius, the UC San Diego commit assisted on the Monarchs’ only goal in a 1-1 draw, and later provided key play to control the match in a scoreless draw. More impressive than any of his numbers on the offensive end is often his ability to limit opportunities for opponents to take control. Mitty opponents scored just 14 goals all season long, as the Monarchs’ midfield made opportunities difficult to create, and Yamaguchi’s prowess defensively in the middle allowed for teammate Josh Robertson to take more of a lead role as an attacking mid.

And while it is not a determining factor in Yamaguchi’s recognition for this season, the plays made over the course of his career will remain as lasting memories in the Mitty program. In the 2017 section playoffs, he capped his junior season with a goal against Los Altos in a first-round victory, and then added Mitty’s only goal in a shootout loss to Mountain View. A year earlier, as a sophomore, it was his second-half goal which gave the Monarchs the lead against Homestead in the Open Division semifinals.

For his efforts throughout this season, we are pleased to recognize Jota Yamaguchi as our Central Coast Section Senior of the Year.

Other players considered include Burlingame’s Gabe Hyman, Overfelt’s Rodolfo Pedroza, Mitty’s Josh Robertson, Prospect’s Tanner Ruddy, and Bellarmine’s Cole Hackett.

NOTE: We would like to thank our media partners, coaches, parents, players and fans for contributing photos for our all-section features. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of CCS soccer.