NVC's Newton-Kotch selected as Bay Valley Conference MVP for men's soccer
First photo: The starters for the Napa Valley College men's soccer team prior to a match against Contra Costa College-San Pablo.
Next 2 photos: The starters for the Napa Valley College men's soccer team prior to a match against Merritt College-Oakland.
Photos by Marty James
By MARTY JAMES
Napa Valley College's Cadel Newton-Kotch was selected as the Bay Valley Conference's Most Valuable Player and Goalkeeper of the Year and the Storm's Jovani Jiménez is the Forward of the Year, NVC coach Rogelio Ochoa announced.
Napa Valley also placed four players as first-team All-Bay Valley Conference selections and three players as second-team All-Bay Valley Conference selections for men's soccer, highlighting a stellar fall season for the Storm.
Napa Valley (7-7-4 overall, 6-3-1 Bay Valley Conference) finished in second place and ended the 2025 season by winning its last three matches.
The All-Bay Valley Conference team is determined by voting of the league's coaches.
"They definitely worked hard. They earned it," Ochoa said of the Storm's players on the All-Bay Valley team. "In any game we played, they definitely stood out, and it showed.
"Hopefully, we can continue this and have the momentum going forward, not just for next fall, but also this spring."
Newton-Kotch, a freshman, had an outstanding season for the Storm, starting in 15 games and playing in 16 games overall. He was credited with 72 saves and had a .783 save percentage. He allowed 20 goals. His goals against average were 1.35. He also had three shutouts.
For his all-around play, he was voted as MVP, Goalkeeper of the Year and first-team All-Conference.
"Cadel is a really good goalkeeper. He just defended and did really well for us on the defensive side, kept us in games for most of the conference," said Ochoa. "He helped us win matches with his goalkeeper skill.
"But what was most impressive, I believe, is his high soccer IQ that helped manage the game. He helps build the attack, manage the time, manage the team. He was more than just making saves He was helping the team manage the clock, manage the opponent, manage the score line, and his high soccer IQ just definitely helped out.
"He was a player that stood out in our conference. Not because of what he does in the position, but what he does within the game."
Newton-Kotch was also selected to the 2025 Northern California All-Region team.
Jiménez, a freshman, was selected as Forward of the Year and first-team All-Conference. Jiménez played in 15 games (12 starts) and had three goals and four assists.
"He was the biggest threat up top. His change of speed, change of direction, ability to find space and gaps in the attacking third," said Ochoa. "He was involved in most of the goals that we scored this season, just because of his movement and his sharp decision making.
"Whenever he was on the ball, he had opportunities. He just created a lot of opportunities for us."
Adrian Ceja, a freshman, and Carlos Aviña, a freshman, were each named first-team All-Conference.
Ceja, a center-midfielder, scored two goals and had one assist. Ceja played in 17 games (17 starts).
"In the midfield, he's just so crafty with his twists and turns, and his decision making helps us connect lines, between the back line and the front line," said Ochoa. "He's so good on the ball. He rarely loses a ball in possession. He was very, very good for us."
Aviña, a center back, played in 17 games (17 starts).
"Carlos had a big presence in the back line. He defended really well for us. He was also a good vocal presence. He just communicated extremely well to control the back line. He was a big part of helping Cadel at goalkeeper," said Ochoa.
Gio Aviña, Alberto Martínez and José "Piojo" Ramírez were selected second-team All-Conference for Napa Valley.
Aviña, a sophomore striker, had three goals and three assists in 18 games (15 starts).
"He was just always pressuring and working hard up top and creating, just making it really difficult on the back line, on the opposition back line," said Ochoa.
Martinez, a sophomore center back, played in 17 games (16 starts).
"He worked really well back there with Carlos (Aviña) and was one of the reasons why we didn't concede many goals," said Ochoa.
Ramírez, a freshman forward, played in 17 games (10 starts). He scored five goals and had four assists.
"José played anywhere in the midfield or up top," said Ochoa. "We wanted him on the field for more than anything, for his set piece. He's just a set-piece master. If it went off a corner kick or off a free kick or a penalty kick, he was always at the end of it. He's just so precise with his crosses and shots that we wanted him to be at the end of every set piece on the offensive side."
Ochoa said NVC's spring program will begin in late February or early March with practices. The Storm will start playing exhibition matches in April. They have a match scheduled against Chico State.
* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.