Soquel's Jedidiah Del Favero, MVC's Zach Binder receive special honors in Mission Division | 2026 All-PCAL Boys Lacrosse
Two Santa Cruz County boys lacrosse players, Soquel High's Jedidiah Del Favero and Monte Vista Christian's Zach Binder, were chosen for special honors in the Pacific Coast Athletic League's Mission Division by coaches at the all-league meeting at the completion of the 2026 regular season.
Del Favero, a freshman attacker, was named Player of the Year, and Binder, a senior midfielder, repeated as Offensive Player of the Year. Salinas senior Ben Lapham was chosen Defensive Player of the Year.
Del Favero and the Knights (17-2 overall, 10-0 league) opened the season with 16 straight wins and claimed the division title.
Soquel's only losses came against Aptos, 15-14 in triple overtime on April 30, and eventual Central Coast Section Division II champion Stevenson of Pebble Beach, 18-5 in CCS play-in game on May 9. Both programs competed in the higher rated PCAL Gabilan Division. (The PCAL will feature just one division in 2027, multiple Mission Division coaches said.)
Del Favero broke school records in goals in a season (65), points (100), takeaways (68) and ground balls (181). He was second on the team in assists (35).
"They kid is phenomenal," Knights coach Troy Kusanovich said. "He's, by far, the best kid we've had in the program. …He could've been the league MVP, Offensive MVP, Defensive MVP, he's everywhere on the field.
"He's got small guy shiftiness in a big body, so he's super tough to deal with. His outside shot is developing. He usually scores in tight. He's one of our main dodgers."
Kusanovich praised Del Favero for his leadership. Five of the 10 starters for the Knights this season were freshmen.
"He just took this group by the reigns and we had a phenomenal year, and it was all rooted in what he was doing," his coach said.
Del Favero also plays for ADVNC NDP, an elite program based out of San Francisco.
Binder helped the Mustangs (11-5, 7-3) tie for second place with Salinas (7-3, 7-3).
First-year George Paul Scheppler, who noted that the Binder family helped create and raise funds for the program, said that Binder is a lacrosse rat.
In addition to MVC, Binder plays for three club teams, Kooks in Aptos, MoHi in Morgan Hill, and South Bay United. He'll play club lacrosse at Texas Christian University in 2026-27.
"He loves lacrosse with such a deep passion that he learned to play every part of every position," Scheppler said. "He has elite speed. The thing that makes him most dangerous and dynamic, he's one of the toughest athletes I've coached in any sport. He can go throught six to seven athletes and still finish."
Binder, who is 5-foot-6, led the Mustangs in goals (64), points (82), and was second in assists (18). He had a .590 face-off percentage (102 of 173).
"He's elusive and super tough," Scheppler said. "People would underestimate him because of his size and he'd make them pay."
The third-year Mustangs, who went 4-6 in their inaugural season and 7-13 last year, enjoyed their first winning campaign. They also broke program records for most wins in season (11), consecutive wins (five), and largest margin of victory (15 goals) and beat a Gabilan Division opponent for the first time.
Scheppler said Binder essentially put a stick in classmates' hands on campus and taught them how to play. MVC enjoyed its largest roster: 26 players.
"He put us on the map and put the team on his back," Scheppler said.
While MVC doesn't retire jerseys, Scheppler no Mustang will wear jersey No. 5, Binder's number, again under his watch.
Soquel had four players chosen to the all-league first team: freshmen attackers Troy Kusanovich and Bo Blackwood, junior midfielder Jedidiah Del Favero, and junior defender Asher Kille. MVC had three first-teamers, Binder, junior attacker Everett Olmstead, and freshman midfielder Gabe Figliomeni, and Santa Cruz had one junior midfielder Stephen Yee.
The Knights also had four players named to the second team: freshman midfielder Xavier Rivas (Soquel), freshman goalie Barry Lombardi, and defender George Staychock and attacker Devin De La Rosa, both sophomores.
MVC sophomore defender Mason Binder, sophomore attacker Tyler Bennett, and junior defender Sean Cote, as well as Santa Cruz freshman midfielder Isaiah Maloney, also made the second team.
Gabilan Division
Aptos senior midfielder Alex Sandoval was a first-team selection in the PCAL Gabilan Division after helping the Mariners (8-10, 3-7) finish in fourth place.
Mariners senior defender Sam Miller and junior midfielder Parker O'Hara were named to the second team.
Sandoval finished with 47 goals, second only to O'Hara (60) for the Mariners, and registered a team-high 29 assists.
Sandoval and MVC's Binder were chosen to competed in the NorCal Lacrosse Association's fitth annual All-Star Game at Marin Catholic High on May 17.
Los Gatos senior defender Zach Otoupol was named Player of the Year, and teammate Ben Reilly, a senior attacker, was named Offensive POY after they led the Wildcats (13-7, 10-0) to the division title. Stevenson senior Laird Welch was named the Defensive POY.
ALL-PCAL BOYS LACROSSEGABILAN DIVISION
SPECIAL HONORS
Player of the Year: Zach Otoupol (Los Gatos)
Offensive Player of the Year: Ben Reilly (Los Gatos)
Defensive POY: Laird Welch (Stevenson)
FIRST TEAM
Alex Sandoval (Aptos), Sr., Midfielder
Matthew Ellis (Carmel), So., Midfielder
Zach Otoupol (Los Gatos), Sr., Defender
Jack Harrington (Los Gatos), Sr., Defender
Ben Reilly (Los Gatos), Sr., Attacker
Zach Gouldrup (Los Gatos), Sr., Midfielder
Justin Buran (Los Gatos), So., Midfielder
Ryder Gamecho (Pacific Grove), Jr., Defender
Cooper Dukes (Palma), So. Midfielder
Eli Dukes (Palma), Jr., Midfielder
Laird Welch (Stevenson), Sr., Defender
Fin Mink (Stevenson), Sr., Midfielder
Topher Moan (Stevenson), So., Midfielder
SECOND TEAM
Sam Miller (Aptos), Sr., Defender
Parker O'Hara (Aptos), Jr., Midfielder
Daniel Bodensteiner (Carmel), Jr., Attacker
Ben Burtis (Los Gatos), So., Midfielder
Asher Rooney (Los Gatos), So., Attacker
Liam Carlin (Los Gatos), Sr., Defender
Tyce Bowen (Los Gatos), Sr., FOGO
Garrett Kuska (Pacific Grove), Sr., Midfielder
Chase Amaral (Palma), Jr., Attacker
Bryce Amaral (Palma), Jr., Goalie
Bradley Stade (Pacific Grove), Sr., LSM/Defender
Grady Roth (Stevenson), Sr., Midfielder
Tucker Green (Stevenson), Sr., Defender
Elgie Bellizio Team Sportsmanship Award: Pacific Grove
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team: Greyson Agnello (Aptos), Sr., D; Connor Reilly (Carmel), Sr., D; Nikolay Barkhatov (Los Gatos), Sr., M; Noah Murdock (Pacific Grove), Sr., A; Conner Jimenez (Palma), Jr., D; Andrew Vanoli (Stevenson), Sr., A
MISSION DIVISION
SPECIAL HONORS
Player of the Year: Jedidiah Del Favero (Soquel)
Offensive Player of the Year: Zach Binder (MVC)
Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Lapham (Salinas)
FIRST TEAM
Troy Kusanovich (Soquel), Fr., Attacker
Bo Blackwood (Soquel), Fr., Attacker
Jedidiah Del Favero (Soquel), Jr., Midfielder
Asher Kille (Soquel), Jr., Defender
Everett Olmstead (MVC), Jr., Attacker
Gabe Figliomeni (MVC), Fr., Midfielder
Zach Binder (MVC), Sr., Midfielder
Stephen Yee (Santa Cruz), Jr., Midfielder
Vitto Fomeris (Hollister), Sr., Defender
Troy Cooper (Hollister), Fr., Attacker
Hendrix Coons (Monterey), Sr., Attacker
Caleb Nolan (Salinas), Jr., Attacker
Andrew Babcock (Salinas), Sr., Midfielder
SECOND TEAM
Xavier Rivas (Soquel), Fr., Midfielder
George Staychock (Soquel), So., Defender
Devin De La Rosa (Soquel), So., Attacker
Barry Lombardi (Soquel), Fr., Goalie
Mason Binder (MVC), So., Defender
Tyler Bennett (MVC), So., Attacker
Sean Cote (MVC), Jr., Defender
Isaiah Maloney (Santa Cruz), Fr., Midfielder
Chase Chipley (Hollister), So., Goalie
Isiah Tosacano (Hollister), So., Midfielder
James Langford, (Monterey), Jr., Midfielder
Mason Black (Salinas), Jr., Midfielder
Von Robinson (Salinas), Jr., Defender
ELGIE BELLIZIO SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Santa Cruz
RICHARD CHAMBERLIN ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM: Tanner Niizawa (Soquel), Fr., M; Everett Olmstead (MVC), Jr., A; Andrew Trowbridge (Santa Cruz), Sr., D; Nicco Fomeris (Hollister), Sr., D; Tyler Mansfield, (Monterey), Sr., D; Max Casillas (Salinas), Jr., M;
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