Kyle Henderson is the top-rated U18 player in the Northern California & Hawaii region for a reason. The skilled midfielder has intangibles that make him a leader on any team. He’s currently guiding Marin High School, one of the top-rated soccer programs in the country, to a 12-0-1 record behind serious production that includes 12 goals and 12 assists.

Henderson isn’t the most athletically-blessed player on the field but he has the kind of guile that will suit him well next season when he begins a career at Harvard. He sees the game like a veteran and has the technical ability to pull off some great defense-splitting passes. He has decent size at 6-foot-1, but it’s his uncanny passing ability and instincts where his game is at its best.

“He’s just very good on the ball and has great vision,” said Marin FC coach who has seen Henderson develop over the years. “He really has a great work rate and an engine that never stops working. He’s a good positional player, probably best as an attacking midfielder but he’s also a good target striker. He’ll be a guy who gets minutes at the next level because he always adapts to speed of play and seems to always rise up to his level of competition.”

Another Nor Cal player to watch who isn’t far from Henderson is teammate Ted Helfrich, a past teammate of Henderson’s with Marin FC and currently with Marin Catholic High School.

Helfrich is certainly one of the best center backs in the region, if not the country, and will be headed to Georgetown next year.

Other star-studded Nor Cal boys include Marc Pelosi, who we have rated tops among the 2012s in the region.  Pelosi, of De Anza Force, will be a part of the U17 Men’s National Team Residency alongside players like Michael Ambrose, Andrew Chang, Atsou Ayah, Carlos Martinez, Oscar Ortega and Earl Edwards. Pelosi  has plenty of experience playing internationally. He has rare experience for a kid his age that serves him well on any level.

In the 2013s, fellow residency member Nathan Smith is a player who jumps out. A strong defender, Smith  helped to lead his U16 Cal Odyssey team to the Academy National Final last year. He’s poised and versatile and has a bright future ahead of him.