Lincoln High soccer star Zac Giles commits to Sacramento State University

The Lincoln High boys' soccer team has had a lot of success in recent years as the Fighting Zebras finished second in the Foothill Valley League in 2021, 2022 and are currently 9-0 to start the season. One of the key players for the Zebras has been senior forward and captain, Zac Giles. Giles currently has 10 goals and 10 assists for Lincoln High and scored 14 goals last season. He has been on the varsity team since he was a freshman. The impressive numbers have led to Giles recently committing to continue his soccer career at Sacramento State University in the fall. Giles announced his commitment to play for the Hornets back in October. "I am excited about being able to move up my level of competition and being able to learn new things from guys who have more experience and can make me a better player," Giles said. "It's really nice to have that pressure off my back and just be able to focus on getting better for when I go to Sac State. At the same time, also being able to really enjoy my senior year without having that burden on me is nice." The Hornets finished their 2022 season with a 9-8-2 record and lost in the first round of the Big West Tournament to the University of California at Irvine. Giles will join other talented attacking players such as Roseville's Austin Wehner and Rocklin's Dominic Vegaalban, along with Francisco Magana from Washington, who all combined for 13 goals last season. "I think it will be super valuable to my development to play with guys who have experience at the college level," Giles said. "It also helps if you have guys like Cisco, Dom and Ausitn who can really push you to be better. Austin and I have mutual family friends, so we have kept in touch over the years and getting to play with him is super exciting for me." Giles will also join 2020 Lincoln alumnus Mac Learned, who combined for 220 saves for the Zebras during his sophomore and junior seasons. Learned totaled 25 saves for the Hornets in 10 games last season. "It feels really good to have someone I played with in high school be on the same college team as me," Giles said. "I've always looked up to Mac ever since freshman year and I'm super excited to share the field with him in college." For now, Giles is looking to finish his final season on a high note and make the best of the rest of his senior year. "My biggest goals for this year are to win the league and make a run at our section playoffs with our eye on a Division III title," Giles said. "Most important is to have a lot of fun as a senior with my teammates. I just want to thank every coach and player I've ever played for or with and I wouldn't have this opportunity without them. Special appreciation to all of the college coaches that took the time to watch me play and connected with me over the last few years."