By MARTY JAMES
martyjames.sports@gmail.com
A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered playing in a game in February of 2017 for Napa Valley 1839 FC, a member of the Golden Gate Conference-West Region of the National Premier Soccer League, caused Jesus “Chuy” Ochoa to question his future in the game.
Ochoa’s family wasn’t going to hear of it, however. They stood right by him as he went through extensive physical therapy and rehab following surgery to his right knee, a process in which he learned to walk all over again. Ochoa’s younger brother, David Ochoa, was there every step of the way, helping out Jesus with his comeback and a return to soccer as a defensive midfielder.
“I want to give a shout-out to my little brother, because he was the one that would keep on pushing me into rehab. He was the one that would go to my physical therapist and be there for me, to tell me to not give up. He’s one of the big reasons why I try so hard every day,” Jesus said in a phone interview on April 20.
Due to concerns over COVID-19, the California Community College Athletics Association (CCCAA) Board of Directors voted to postpone indefinitely, practices outside of regularly scheduled classes, and competition for all spring sports and those sports in their nontraditional seasons. The CCCAA Board understands the impact this will have on our student-athletes. The CCCAA will be working to minimize those impacts when it comes to student-athlete CCCAA eligibility, as well as at the four-year college level. For more information and updates, visit the CCCAA website.
Photos courtesy of Mario Cendejas
By MARTY JAMES
martyjames.sports@gmail.com
SANTA ROSA – Due to a number of injuries, Napa Valley College was down to just 12 players who were healthy and available to play at one point during the men’s soccer season. The Storm was in the midst of playing a very difficult nonconference lineup of opponents and was looking to do everything it could to prepare for the upcoming Bay Valley Conference season as the two-time defending champion. It was not an easy road to travel.
“The guys on the bench really took care of the team for a good amount of time in the beginning and conference,” coach Rogelio Ochoa said. “Everyone stepped up when they had to and I thought collectively they worked really hard. I’m really proud of that.”
By MARTY JAMES
martyjames.sports@gmail.com
The Napa Valley College men’s soccer team set two goals at the start of the season.
One was to win the Bay Valley Conference title. Goal achieved.
The other one was to win a first-round match in the playoffs.
The Storm will get that chance when it travels on Saturday to face Santa Rosa Junior College, the No. 1 seed and the Big 8 Conference champion, in the 2019 California Community College Athletic Association Championships.
Marco Manzo and Jesus “Chuy” Ochoa were teammates on the 2014 Vintage High School boys soccer team, which had a 19-1-3 record and won the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title.
Manzo was a freshman and Ochoa a senior at the time.
They are teammates once again, this time for a Napa Valley College men’s soccer team, which with two games still to go in the regular season, has already clinched the Bay Valley Conference title.
“They play every minute of each match, unless we’re up by a couple, and then maybe we can give them a little break,” Napa Valley coach Rogelio Ochoa said at Tuesday’s practice. “But they’re the ones that can stay on the field, again to control the tempo of the game, whether we’re up or whether we’re tied.
“It’s just having that presence that is good to have on a team.”
Manzo, a freshman, is a center attacking midfielder. Ochoa, a sophomore who played on NVC’s 2016 team, is a center back-defensive midfielder.
The Napa Valley College men’s soccer team went into the 2019 season as the two-time defending Bay Valley Conference champions.
So far, the Storm is still looking for its first win, having taking on the assignment of facing a very tough lineup of nonconference opponents.
Rogelio Ochoa isn’t done for the day after teaching Spanish classes at Napa High School.
Ochoa, who is in his eighth year on the staff at Napa High, has two other jobs.
He is the head men’s soccer coach at Napa Valley College, which began its season in August.
He is also the head coach for Napa Valley 1839 FC, a third-year local men’s amateur soccer team which plays in the National Premier Soccer League West Region Conference.
NVC Soccer Star Jesus ‘Chuy’ Ochoa Signs with Indiana University East
April 23, 2020By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered playing in a game in February of 2017 for Napa Valley 1839 FC, a member of the Golden Gate Conference-West Region of the National Premier Soccer League, caused Jesus “Chuy” Ochoa to question his future in the game. Ochoa’s family wasn’t going to hear of it, however. They stood right by him as he went through extensive physical therapy and rehab following surgery to his right knee, a process in which he learned to walk all over again. Ochoa’s younger brother, David Ochoa, was there every step of the way, helping out Jesus with his comeback and a return to soccer as a defensive midfielder. “I want to give a shout-out to my little brother, because he was the one that would keep on pushing me into rehab. He was the one that would go to my physical therapist and be there for me, to tell me to not give up. He’s one of the big reasons why I try so hard every day,” Jesus said in a phone interview on April 20.
