After enduring the worst season in the league last fall, the San Jose Earthquakes continue to make moves for the future.

The franchise signed 15-year-old Academy forward Cade Cowell to a Homegrown deal ahead of the start of preseason.

Cowell joined the Earthquakes Academy ahead of the 2018-19 season after a sensational campaign with Ballistic United last year. He scored 33 goals in 32 games in 2017-18 for Ballistic United's Under-15 side.

The youngest in Bay Area sports history.

BREAKING: #Quakes74 sign 15-year-old @QuakesAcademy product Cade Cowell as Homegrown Player: https://t.co/6WoStMyWjW @SutterHealth pic.twitter.com/WLy59uXC2S

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) January 23, 2019

“Cade has a bright future ahead of him and it is up to him how far he will go,” Earthquakes head coach Matias Almeyda said in a statement. “He adds to what I believe is a very talented group of young players here in San Jose and we’re anxious to see him develop with us.”

The No. 2 ranked player in the 2022 Boys IMG Academy Top 150, Cowell earned call-ups to the U.S. Under-17 Men's National team for a trip to Mexico last September, along with a stint with the Under-16 BNT earlier that month. He earned Best XI honors at the U15 Boys Development Academy Showcase last summer.

“Today is a special day for our club and our youth development program,” Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli said in a release. “The fact that Cade can join the first team today would not have been possible if it had not been for his family, the Earthquakes’ and Ballistic United’s youth coaches, and Matias’ immediate buy-in to welcome him to the squad at just 15 years of age.

“Cade is a gifted striker that is well ahead of his age in terms of athletic ability, talent and work ethic. Within six months of arriving at our club, he joined the U.S. Youth National Team program and was soon after promoted an age group higher. Together with his family, we came to an agreement on a five-year contract with the understanding that we are at the beginning of a long-term partnership in an effort to support Cade’s success in life one step and one training at a time. He’ll be joining the first team immediately and will continue to follow an individualized development program with gradual targets to help him reach his goals on and off the field.”