Submitted photo – Josue Alva, Benji Herrera and Diego Aguilar at this week’s letter signing ceremony.

By Ray Hamill — College of the Redwoods men’s soccer coach Kyle Van Dyke has added four new local players to his roster, as he looks to build a competitive team for 2024.

Last week, McKinleyville senior Jacob Paz signed his letter of intent to play for the Corsairs after graduation, and three more players followed in his footsteps this week, with Fortuna’s Josue Alva, Diego Aguilar and Benji Herrera all committing their futures to the team.

And Van Dyke says he’s not done yet.

“We’re always looking for new local players,” the coach said. “We’ll leave no stone unturned, that’s for sure.”

The speedy Paz will see time at outside defense for the Corsairs and will be expected to play a key role for his new team.

“He’s got speed and he’s a good athlete,” Van Dyke said of the Mack senior. “I think he will be a good asset for us, for sure. His big quality is definitely his speed.”

The talented Fortuna trio, meanwhile, will give their new coach plenty of versatility and can line up in a number of different positions.

“They’ll be able to play multiple spots for us and will be real helpful for depth,” the CR coach said. “It’s really an opportunity for them to compete and earn minutes wherever.”

The Fortuna to CR connection has been a fruitful one for Van Dyke in recent years as he continues to take advantage of the best local program.

“We’ve built a really good connection with coach (Daniel) Holmes,” he said of the longtime and very successful Huskies head coach. “He runs a great program there and I’ve had success with guys from his program.”

Van Dyke is hoping to add more local players in the coming weeks and said there will be an additional H-DNL standout signing his letter next week.

And with 10 to 12 players expected back on the roster from last year’s team, the excitement surrounding the 2024 season is already building.

Submitted photo

Shasta College will not field a team in the fall, and Van Dyke says he will be reaching out to some players in Redding to see if they would like to join up as well.

“Recruiting is going well overall,” he said. “We’ve been getting some players a little earlier than typical, so it’s encouraging.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to build a competitive program.”

Having several local players also helps with the summer program, which takes place in July before many out-of-area students travel to the North Coast, and will give the players a head start in their preparation.

Van Dyke is also hoping to get in some spring games after a successful trip to Ukiah last year to scrimmage with Mendocino and Contra Costa.

Submitted photo – McKinleyville’s Jacob Paz and his family at last week’s letter signing.