Embele Awipi

TURLOCK – Hours before kickoff, Dana Taylor strolls around Cal State Stanislaus’s Warrior Stadium, getting things ready for his Earthquakes U-23 team’s game. He has to help get the signage up, work with the event staff and meet the referees before turning his attention to prepping his wards for the game.

His wife, Lisa, is the first to show up at every game — beyond the usual “for better or for worse” she signed up for. Officially, the management assistant, — “the team gopher,” Lisa laughs — she handles everything from the box office to getting in the official lineups.

This was the first year that San Jose set up an Under-23 team in the Premier Development League, officially three levels below MLS. Taylor, who doubles as coach of Cal State Stanislaus, said having the team was an experience.

“It’s been more about getting them to play together, showing the ability to play at a high level, rather than drills,” Taylor said. “It took some time but you can see it in the guys; the enjoyment and effort.”

Their final record of 7-3-4 was good for third in the six-team Southwest Division.

“The boys raised their game,” Taylor said after the finale win over Fresno. “To finish with six wins and two ties in our last eight games, I was proud of the guys.”

“Coach says ‘look at the patch on your chest, look who you are playing for. Show it.’” said Devante Dubose. “Every week it got better. It took us some time but we brought it to the table.”

Oakland native Dubose was San Jose’s fourth-round pick of this year’s Superdraft, and started every game at right back for the U-23s.

“Being drafted and coming back to your hometown is a blessing,” he said. “Even though I wasn’t signed, they gave me the opportunity to come here. Hopefully, I can go back up and show I’ve progressed as a player, on and off the field.”

Earthquakes Director of Operations Dustin Cleaver called the PDL experiment’s first year a success, and said the team allows the Earthquakes to be “pioneers” in player development.

“It’s about getting the one or two hard-to-find players you don’t see in college,” Cleaver said, adding Warrior Stadium was a perfect venue choice. “It is about giving back to the community. The Turlock-Modesto area is very important to us. And the facilities are spot on. We try to replicate what players would have at the next level.”

With the season over, the younger players headed back to school already in game shape. Two of the older players are headed to play professionally in Costa Rica, while others are getting looked at by San Jose.

“We are bringing in a couple to train with the first team,” Cleaver said. “The PDL allows us to develop younger talent. There are some college guys we also have our eyes on, but have to wait until our December college combine to look at them.”

Embele Awipi is a former radio host and called play-by-play for the Earthquakes U-23 this season on YouTube. His column runs every Monday in The Californian. Contact him at embeleshow@yahoo.com