From local youth soccer leagues to high school CIF championship games, the love of the beautiful game runs deep for many athletes. For three dedicated Antelope Valley students, their journey has taken them right out of high school matches and to the pros with AV Alta FC. Adrian Villafranco, Juaquin Garcia, and Erik Hernandez Jr. have all received an extraordinary opportunity to play locally with the professional league.

When AV Alta FC brought professional soccer to the valley, they also created a pathway to nurture and train local breakouts in the sport. All three players were a part of the AV Alta FC Academy.

“At the end of 2022 we started this project and one of the first things we had in mind was to find all the best young talent in the AV so that we could try to support them, whether that meant you know helping them on the professional route or helping them get recruited by colleges,” said AV Alta FC Sporting Director Zaki Tahari. 

The academy was a crucial step in helping them land spots on the first team. For Adrian, the chance came after a CIF playoff game loss for Littlerock. He remembers feeling down before he got a text asking him to come out and play with the first team. 

“It was all happening so fast but I was excited,” Adrian said. “I went out. I was a little nervous at first, but once I started playing it just all went away.”

Hard Work Pays Off

Across the board, their coaches and supporters say all these players have one quality in common: incredible work ethic. 

Littlerock Boys Soccer Coach Gloria Meza said seniors Juaquin and Adrian were both standout players who became team captains of the CIF Division 1 Soccer team. They contributed to the team’s success in the past four years, even helping them achieve a 2025 Golden League Championship for their last season.

“They’re both very hardworking. I think that’s their biggest asset for both of them,” Coach Meza said. “They both knew where they wanted to be and what they wanted to do. And when it came to soccer they were just dedicated.”

Highland Boys Soccer Coaches Barry and Shanna Cobb have known Erik Jr. since his club days. They saw his potential and started him on the varsity team as a freshman, and he helped the team go to CIF twice during his three years on the team.

“The one thing I’ve learned about Junior is just never underestimate him. He’s always going to step up, and he’s going to do what he needs to do if it’s something that he wants,” said Coach Shanna Cobb.

Maturity and Sacrifice Go Hand in Hand

As teenagers, these players are practicing with pros who are years into their career. They are some of the youngest faces on the team, which requires a lot of maturity on their end. Juaquin said he has begun to see it almost like a job.

“I’ve never been around training with professionals so it was something new to me but as time went on, like two weeks went by, three weeks, I started getting used to it,” said Juaquin. 

As an incoming senior for the 2025-2026 school year, Erik Jr. is the youngest of the three starting his career. His dad, Erik Hernandez Sr., says that his son doesn’t get to do everything a regular kid does but that this is part of the sacrifice.

“We’ve been working on trying to get him there, and I can tell him, pretty much, there’s only so much we can do and the rest is on you,” said Erik Sr. 

Representing Their Hometown

Their Antelope Valley roots go deep. For many of their supporters, it brings pride to know that the team includes hometown players. 

“To watch him grow through that, come into the academy, and then to get rostered on the first team and be a hometown hero, it’s kind of exciting to know you were a part of that journey,” said Coach Barry Cobb. 

These students played on local teams, walked in the same halls, took the same classes, and are significant parts of their schools’ communities.

“When I first came as a freshman, I felt lonely since I was the only freshman on the team,” said Littlerock Junior Nelson Diaz, who played with Adrian and Juaquin. “They both cheered me up… and I felt like it was a bond between family.”

A tremendous amount of time and effort has been put towards this achievement. They have devoted years of their lives to the game, leading them to be recognized for their talent and hard work.

“It’s a dream come true. Just to represent the AV, you know, where I was born and raised, it’s just a big opportunity and a blessing,” said Erik Jr.