Tournament season is in full bloom for winter sports in the area, but the Manteca boys soccer program is offering something a little different.

Third-year coach James Burns is putting on the inaugural Buffalo Collegiate Showcase this Friday at Modesto Junior College West Campus and Saturday at Manteca High’s Guss Schmiedt Field. The event features eight schools, mostly from the Central Valley, including four top-20 teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section — No. 1 Lathrop (7-0-1), No. 3 Downey (6-1), No. 10 East Union (8-2-1) and No. 19 Manteca (5-1-2).

Emerald (1-5-1), a second-year school out of Dublin, is the only team coming from outside the Valley. Venture Academy (4-0-1) of Stockton, Los Banos (2-3-1) and Ripon (2-5-2) round out the field.

“I like the teams we have in the mix,” Burns said. “There's a strong collection of next-level players and players with promise.”

He hopes to expand the showcase lineup to 10 teams next season.

Coaches from Delta College, Modesto Junior College and Merced College will be on hand take in the action and gauge some of the top talent from the region. A pro scout from The Soccer Syndicate will also be present.  Burns is an assistant for the MJC men’s program, which is headed by East Union coach Ronnie Green.

“Though we're not awarding a trophy, there is benefit to the players and programs,” Burns said. “Players will get the chance to play in front of real college coaches and scouts on some of the best pitches in the area, which should add a layer of excitement and pressure. A unique audience like that could produce quality football.”

Every team will compete in full 80-minute matches on each day. Contests are typically shorter in the more traditional two-day tournament formats in which teams can play up to four games total.

The showcase allows spectators the opportunity to watch every game instead of having their attentions split on multiple fields with games taking place simultaneously.

General admission cost is $8 at both sites, and $4 for students.

After hosting a traditional tournament the last two years, I wanted to change the format so that I could see more games, more teams, and ultimately more players,” Burns said. “As a college coach in the area and a friend to many of the college coaches in the area, I wanted to create a showcase that would allow us to see the talent on a single stage, without distractions or having to leave a game early.

“I'm always so bummed when I miss a player or a team because we're playing at the same time. This way, everyone can scout, watch, evaluate and enjoy some of the top young players in this part of the Valley.”

Here’s the schedule for the Buffalo Collegiate Showcase:

Friday at MJC West Campus — 9 a.m. Lathrop vs. Downey, 11 a.m. Los Banos vs. Ripon, 1 p.m. Manteca vs. Emerald and 3 p.m. East Union vs. Venture Academy.

Saturday at Manteca High — 10 a.m. Ripon vs. Lathrop, 12 p.m. Emerald vs. East Union, 2 p.m. Venture Academy vs. Downey and 4 p.m. Manteca vs. Los Banos.