Soccer Game Preview: Encinal vs. Castro Valley

The Encinal Jets will take on the Castro Valley Trojans at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Encinal's offense has struggled lately (the team hasn't scored more than a single goal for six straight games), a trend the team is no doubt ready to end.

Thursday just wasn't the day for Encinal's offense. They lost 9-0 to Bishop O'Dowd on Thursday. While losing is never fun, Encinal can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California soccer rankings (they are ranked 843rd, while Bishop O'Dowd are ranked 17th).

Meanwhile, Castro Valley kept a clean sheet against Berkeley on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Yellowjackets, sneaking past 1-0. Castro Valley wouldn't have won without Hannah Sommerhalter, who scored the game-winner.

Castro Valley now has a winning record of 5-4-1. As for Encinal, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.

Encinal suffered a grim 6-0 defeat to Castro Valley in their previous matchup back in February of 2025. Will the Jets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.