EAGLES DECLARED STATE CHAMPIONS
East County Sports.com
MISSION, Kan. - On the heels of capturing its record fourth consecutive
San Diego CIF Section championship, the Granite Hills High men's
soccer team received one additional honor Monday (Mar. 8), being
named the mythical state champion by the National Soccer Coaches
Association of America.
In cooperation with sponsoring adidas, NSCAA voters tabbed the
Eagles ahead of Watsonville and Anaheim-Esperanza. Granite Hills,
which finished with a 21-2-4 overall record, including a 1-0
overtime decision over La Costa Canyon in Saturday's (March 6)
sectional final, also were included near the top of the NSCAA
national winter-season rankings, finishing second to Florida
state titlist Miami-Sunset (30-1-0). Watsonville placed sixth
nationally, while Esperanza tied for tenth with Kingwood (Texas).
Granite Hills was the defending national champion after going
undefeated in 2003 with a 28-0-3 record. The streak, which started
in Dec. 2001, reached a San Diego Section record 66 straight
contests before finally being snapped this season.
The NSCAA conducts the most widely recognized national and regional
soccer ranking system in the country as a service to the general
public and its members. The intent of the rankings program is
to stimulate greater interest in men's and women's soccer at
the intercollegiate and interscholastic levels and to recognize
those programs that are enjoying remarkable success on a regional
and national level.
Division I Final
Granite Hills 1, La Costa Canyon 0, OT
RANCHO PENASQUITOS -- The official determination on how Saturday's
Golden Goal finally reached the back of the net may have been
unusual. Yes, the final result remained crystal clear, following
a familiar formula.
After nearly an hour of weeding through a variety of versions
on how the ball finally ping-ponged across the goal line for
the game's lone goal 4:58 into overtime, junior Saul Solis was
credited with a goal on a shot the midfielder never even saw,
lifting top-seeded Granite Hills to an unprecedented fourth consecutive
CIF Division I men's soccer championship. The Eagles nipped La
Costa Canyon for the second year running in the final, this time
winning 1-0 at Westview High stadium.
"It was a tough one, but sometimes things happen like that
and we got the nice bounce," said Granite Hills coach Sami
Nedjar. "It wasn't a pretty goal; it's only good if it goes
into the net."
Depending on who you talked and when, the goal was once credited
to Eagles scoring leader Sean Pepin, although many thought it
was an own goal which finally doomed the Mavericks, who upset
a pair of seeded sides (Poway and Rancho Buena Vista) to advance
to the title contest.
However, a thorough examination of the video tape validated that
an LCC clearing attempt smacked Solis in the back of the head.
Although the ricochet might have nipped another Mavs fullback
on the rebound, the ball still carried enough impetus off the
head of Solis to catch the inside of the near, left post, igniting
a joyous celebration.
"It was a long throw-in by Shaun Silva, then the ball was
flicked-on by Pepi (Pepin)," recalled Eagles midfielder
Kyle Hewitt, who had a perfect view of the play behind Solis.
"The ball then bounced around and the defense tried to clear,
but it knocked off Saul and went in."
The victory gave starting seniors Alex Yoshinaga, Jason Miller,
Ryan Loustalet and Pepin their fourth title. Although it was
the only major goal achieved by the Eagles this season after
its CIF-San Diego Section record unbeaten streak ended at 66
games in December, then Valhalla outlasted them for the Grossmont
South League title last month.
However, while the Saints and Norsemen were eventually eliminated
from the postseason prior to reaching a final, the chief mission
of Granite Hills to claim its place in local soccer history remained
available to them; Mission: completed.
"They were all tough to win -- there are no easy games,"
noted Yoshinaga, who will play for Notre Dame next season. "And
La Costa Canyon never gave up and we had to earn every bit of
this."
Goalie Thomas Ryan, who missed last season's title contest with
the flu, was stellar, making seven saves as the Mavericks held
an 18-7 advantage in shots. However, on the one ball the junior
keeper was out of position to play after being forced to come
off his line, Loustalet stepped forward to make a save to keep
the contest scoreless.
With 14 minutes left in regulation, Ryan came out to cut the
angle on an LCC shot, but the ball came loose and was finally
headed onto goal by Mavs scoring leader Beno Grossman. However,
Loustalet, perfectly situated to cover the far post, calmly jumped
and headed the ball clear.
"Ryan made a nice header to clear because I had to come
out and get the first shot," noted Ryan. "Otherwise,
although I had a lot of saves, they didn't really have too many
chances to really score."
Granite Hills elected to remain in a defensive stance in the
first half, fighting off both the sun and wind. But once the
influence of the elements subsided, both sides displayed high-level
play despite not finding the net.
Strong chances included a 21-yard free kick by Yohsinaga, who
connected for game-winning goals in both the quarterfinals and
semifinals, but the shot sailed high. Grossman's chance off a
strong pass from Jeff Konoske, then a header by the Eagles' Josh
Sandoval in the 79th minute, but LCC goalie Matt Bullough made
the last of his four saves.
"Neither team wanted to tie," added Nedjar. "Both
teams played to win, and I think both teams would've rather lost
than have it end in a tie."
Although the key portion of the offense will be graduating, seven
non-senior starters return, plus a boatload of other players
from a roster which finished with a 21-2-4 overall record.
"This one is just the appetizer," added Hewitt. "Those
of us who will be seniors next year now want one more, too."
(3-07-04)
Eagles dominate Fallbook to win opportunity
for fourth-straight CIF championship
East County Sports.com
SDCIF Semifinals
Wed., Mar. 3
Division I
Granite Hills 5, Fallbrook 0
SAN DIEGO - The last time Granite Hills faced Fallbrook was in
the 2001 San Diego CIF Division I championship game, as the Eagles
took an easy 4-1 decision. That was the beginning of three consecutive
section titles.
Alex Yoshinaga scored a pair of goals, including an unassisted
tally just 6:28 into the contest, while Sean Pepin added his
34th goal of the season, as Granite Hills earned an opportunity
to claim a record fourth straight SDCIF Division I championship
after whipping the Warriors, 5-0, in Wednesday's (Mar. 3) CIF
Division I semifinals at Westview High.
Yoshinaga only pulled the trigger a handful of times on offense,
but two of his shots found the target.
"Two hits -- two goals," noted Yoshinaga, who scored
even quicker in the second half, needing just 6:09 to convert
a penalty kick after Pepin was pulled down from behind in the
corner of the box. "The goals were for my favorite old (former)
teacher."
The Eagles (24-3-2) were so dominate, Fallbrook never took a
dangerous shot on goal until the waning seconds. By then, goalie
Thomas Ryan already received an ovation after making two saves
in his 78 minutes of action. But it was a diving block by third-string
keeper R.J. Smith which robbed Warriors striker Zach Toth to
seal the shutout victory.
"I was surprised how easy it was," said stopper Ryan
Loustalet, who aided Ryan by blocking several shots. "All
of us in the back were working hard, then all of the midfielders
were back and marking-up, too."
The staunch, 80-minute effort on defense was a contrast to the
Eagles' last effort against Calexico, which scored twice over
the final 10 minutes to nearly force overtime in the quarterfinals.
"I'm proud and I'm happy, but I'm still not satisfied --
we still have one more to go," noted Granite Hills coach
Sami Nedjar. "But I am happier with our defending."
Following Yoshinaga's opening score to the left post following
a steal, the next two Granite Hills goals came courtesy of penalty
kicks.
Pepin made a strong centering pass just under the arc to Yoshinaga,
who was pulled down before he could shoot. Pepin was then rewarded
for his smart play by booting home the PK at 31:34 for a 2-0
halftime lead.
Pepin later added an assist after getting the ball to Jesse Fulcher
for a header and a 4-0 advantage at 56:15. The Eagles reserves
then enjoyed extended playing time over the final half-hour,
as a long throw-in by back-up goalie Brad Taconi, who was being
used as a field player, found the head of Julio Leon to cap the
scoring at 70:28.
"We didn't expect this -- we thought it would be a lot tougher,"
noted Pepin, the Eagles leading scorer. "After that first
goal, they weren't going for the goal and went into a defensive
shell, but we still were getting by them."
The Warriors (13-5-4) were without their coach John Hayek, whose wife gave birth to a son, Josh, on Wednesday morning.
This current crop of Granite Hills seniors,
which includes starters Jason Miller, Loustalet, Pepin and Yoshinaga,
can become the first large-school division team to capture SDCIF
crowns over all four seasons. The crowning touch will come Saturday
(March 6) when the Eagles face La Costa Canyon at Westview
High at 4 p.m.
Division II
Mount Carmel 1, Valhalla 1 (MC advances on PKs, 4-3)
EL CAJON -- The Sundevils needed to go to "kicks from the
mark" to finally capture the first of two semifinals contests
played at Grossmont High, outscoring the Norsemen, 4-3, to eliminate
the top-seeds in the SDCIF Division II semifinals after the teams
finished tied at 1-all through 80 minutes of regulation play
and a pair of 15-minute overtime periods.
(03-03-04)
Eagles survive scare against Calexico;
Norsemen advance
Sat., Feb. 28
Division I
Granite Hills 3, Calexico 2 -- Alex Yoshinaga came through with his biggest goal
of the season to date, helping Granite Hills avoid an embarrassing
collapse in its bid for a fourth consecutive Division I soccer
championship. The Notre Dame-bound striker found the lower-right
corner of net with a direct free kick during added time Saturday
(Feb. 28), lifting the Eagles past pesky Calexico, 3-2, in a
quarterfinal-round contest played at Grossmont High.
Yoshinaga's goal from 25 yards out came following a Calexico
rally from a 2-0 deficit over the final 11 minutes, propelling
Granite Hills into Wednesday's (March 3) semifinals.
"I've been missing those all year," said Yoshinaga,
who booted a similar strike to clinch last year's SDCIF title
match against La Costa Canyon last season. "But I got one
when it counted."
The senior had a similar opportunity with five minutes remaining,
but sailed his shot over the net.
"That was stupid," he noted. "Besides, it wasn't
as suspenseful."
Yoshinaga's penchant for the dramatic sliced through the heart
of the Tigers, which were outplayed over long stretches of the
first 65 minutes, but came on strong thanks to a pair of crosses
which led to goals.
Carlos Valencia started the comeback by dancing past three Eagles
defenders along the goal line, pushing the ball through the goal
mouth, where Juan Banda ran onto the ball for the tap-in at 69:19.
Five minutes later, midfielder Francisco Puga roamed free with
the ball near the corner flag, sending a cross which Angel Molina
banged into the net at 74:21, silencing the once vocal Granite
Hills followers.
"They have a nice team and never gave up," noted Eagles
coach Sami Nedjar. "But big players make big plays, and
'Yoshi' finally came up with one for us."
Dan Sims was instrumental in giving Granite Hills a 2-0 halftime
lead. His lead pass up the middle allowed Sean Pepin to split
a pair of defenders, as the Eagles' scoring leader tapped a roller
under the Calexico goalkeeper just eight minutes into the contest.
Sims later collected a loose ball when a Calexico attempt to
clear hit another defender in the back, as the freshman took
one step from the left side and shot, also sending a low strike
beneath the keeper in the 39th minute.
"I saw two defenders closing on me, so I passed it to 'Peppie'
and he did the rest," said Sims, who assisted the Pepin's
team-leading 24th goal of the season. "Then on my goal,
Yoshi tried to get the ball to me, but the fullback banged his
own player with the ball and it went right to me."
In between, a long Puga header seemed destined to find the net
and tie the game at 1-all. The redirection of a long throw-in
beat Eagles goalie Thomas Ryan, but Josh Sandoval stood his ground
at the near post to nod the ball away.
Calexico also had an opportunity to tie following Yoshinaga's
goal -- the referee allowed five added minutes of play -- gaining
a free kick from 24 yards out. However, the strike by Puga was
rejected by the Granite Hills wall, smacking defender Saul Solis
in the hip.
"Sure, it stung, but I did it for the team," noted
Solis. "In the last minutes of a game, you do whatever you
can to win."
Division II
Valhalla 2, Orange Glen 0 -- Norsemen goalie Tommy McClain
recorded the team's 14th shutout in their last 15 outings, as
the Valhalla defense was again the difference in a blanking of
Orange Glen in Saturday's (Feb. 28) SDCIF Division II quarterfinals.
McClain registered four saves, including one key save in each
half, to advance the top seeds into the semifinals.
Casey Lococo and Travis Hummell scored for the Norsemen (17-2-3),
to gain a berth in Wednesday's (March 3) semifinals.
Lococo sent a full volley of a rebound off the bottom of the
crossbar in the 34th minute, as the linesman put up his flag
to indicate the ball crossed the goal line on its carom downward
to open the scoring. The play was setup when a long throw-in
by Jason Dall was redirected by David Rhea, but the initial shot
was stopped by goalie Jorge Gonzalez.
Hummell, who missed most of the season with a torn muscle in
his hip, scored when Carlos Wilson made a nice run with the ball,
finding his teammate in front of the left post for a 14-yard
shot and a 2-0 lead.
Orange Glen had three late chances, including a pair of free
kicks from the right corner of the box. However, one shot sailed
high, while McClain grabbed the other, then he punched out two
other serves into the box to protect his shutout.
Scripps Ranch 4, West Hills 1 -- Three days after recording
its first SDCIF playoff victory in 12 years, the Wolf Pack was
eliminated by the Falcons who scored a pair of first-half goals,
then added another marker early in the second half for a 3-0
lead. The lone West Hills goal was an unassisted tally by Michael
Closer in the 65th minute, while goalie Daniel Hurley registered
eight saves.
(02-28-04)
Santana's No. 22 (far right; not listed
on roster) positions himself for a header during Thursday's regular
season finale against visiting West Hills. The high-scoring contest
finished in a 3-3 tie. photo by Nick Pellegrino
Blown whistle results in blown call, costing
Foothillers chance at playoff win
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - Because of financial restraints, high school soccer
games dropped from a system of three game officials (a referee
and two linesman) to a two-referee formation. However, when the
opportunity to expand back to three became available to county
coaches at the San Diego CIF playoff selection meeting, every
hand in the room was raised for the extra set of eyes.
Ironically, it was because there were too many officials that
Grossmont High was eliminated in the first round of the Division
II playoffs.
A mix-up on signals between the referee and a linesman resulted
in the washout of a late, game-tying goal by the Foothillers'
John Fay. Patrick Henry's Cheyne Whitney answered by scoring
his second goal of the game in the closing minutes, as the Patriots
advanced to the quarterfinals with Wednesday's (Feb. 25) 2-0
victory at Giddings Stadium.
An excellent service from the right wing by Lance Shelton landed
in front of the hard-charging Fay, who was overlapping from his
fullback slot, sending a diving header past Henry goalkeeper
Barret Baumgart. However, the referee thought the linesman was
signaling for an offsides, but the actual call was to play-on.
Nevertheless, the whistle blew and the potential game-tying goal
was erased with 9:14 left in the contest.
"They (the referees) told us they messed up," said
Grossmont coach Rich Mossay. "The linesman said the play
was good, but then he changed his signal after the whistle. It's
a disappointing way to get bumped out of the playoffs."
Otherwise, Baumgart was excellent in goal, making five saves,
while Grossmont keeper Armando Corrado, an All-County selection
last season, matched his counterpart with seven strong saves.
The difference was the playmaking of Patriots speedster Sal Zizzo.
Making an assortment of runs down the wing, Zizzo was able to
turn the corner along the left wing to center on several occasions,
twice finding Whitney for a pair of second-half goals.
"I think we got into their heads a little bit," said
Zizzo. "They had a guy on me the whole game, and we bumped
and hit each other a few times. But our defense was still able
to distribute some nice balls to the forwards, then I was able
to get the ball into the middle."
Whitney initial chance came in the opening minutes of the second
half, but Corrado made a sprawling stop. However, his next chance
at 64:13 found the back of the net. Whitney also scored after
Grossmont was pushing players forward with 2:08 remaining.
The Patriots (12-6-1) advance to Saturday's round-of-8, traveling
to Escondido to meet second-seeded San Pasqual (14-3-5). Grossmont,
the runners-up in the Grossmont North League, ends its season
with a 7-7-8 overall record.
Jose Cruz (right) of The Preuss School
dribbles down the sideline with Christian midfielder Jared Smith
presuing during Wednesday's opening game of the CIF Division
IV playoffs. The Tritons won, 2-1, in a contest played at Hoover
High's all-weather field. photo by Nick Pellegrino
Division IV
Preuss 2, Christian 1 - Although outplayed throughout their
Division IV opening-round contest, the Patriots still had a chance
to force overtime in the closing minutes, but The Preuss School,
the college prep program at UC San Diego, managed to escape the
upset by claiming a 2-1 triumph at Hoover High.
Alfredo Araujo scored a pair of goals for the Tritons (10-6-4),
including a brilliant header to snap a 1-1 tie in the 56th minute.
Preuss outshot Christian by 12-1 margins in both halves. However,
the Patriots scored on their first attempt at goal just prior
to the whistle for halftime, then had a chance to force overtime
in the 77th minute.
The goal came courtesy of Kyler Dwyer, who picked the pocket
of a Tritons fullback, took a step and smacked a low blast inside
the far right post in the 38th minute. Araujo answered on a header
of a Cecilio Garcia service in the 56th minute, but when Blake
Oliver was fouled just outside the box for a major scoring opportunity
with five minutes remaining, his direct kick just hit the outside
of the Tritons wall.
"These kids gave everything they had all year, so I couldn't
be prouder for them," said Patriots coach Jeff Vigil. "They
all played hard until they had nothing else to give."
Christian goalie Tommy Haas kept the Patriots in the contest
early. The first nine shots by Preuss were all on goal, as Haas
stopped eight of them, en route to a 14-save performance.
Christian ends its campaign with a 5-12-4 overall record. The
Tritons advance to the quarterfinals, meeting fourth-seeded The
Bishop's School (9-5-3), at noon Saturday (Feb. 28) at Kate Sessions
Park.
West Hills 2, Mar Vista 0 - No report.
Division III
Point Loma vs. Santana (at Grossmont) - No report.
(02-25-04)
Valhalla goalkeeper Tommy McClain beats
Granite Hills' Jason Miller to the ball late in the 1-0 Norsemen
victory to capture the GSL crown. photo by Dennis Navarro
Despite setbacks, Eagles still earn
top seed in Division I
East County Sports.com
LINDA VISTA - With just a pair of setback over the past 80 contests, Granite Hills High was a unanimous selection by the coaches selection committee as top seed in Division I boys soccer, as the CIF-San Diego Section announced playoff pairings in all four divisions on Saturday (Feb. 21). The Eagles (18-2-4) are seeking a record fourth consecutive championship, after rallying to nip La Costa Canyon, 2-1, in last season's finale.
The Eagles' road to another championship may be the most difficult ever. Along the way, the team could meet opponents that push them during the regular season, including a potential match-up with Montgomery in their first game. The Aztecs tied Granite Hills, 1-1, during the Coronado Islander Classic in December, but must first defeat Imperial Valley league runner-up Calexico to gain a rematch in the quarterfinals.
The top four seeds in all four divisions received first-round byes from Wednesday's (Feb. 25) tournament openers, commencing play in Saturday's (Feb. 28) quarterfinals. And because of potential flooding by heavy rains predicted for next week, Granite Hills already announced its first game will be moved to Helix High, which opened a new artificial grass playing field earlier in the month.
Granite Hills already has defeated several high-profile clubs, including Palomar League co-champion Torrey Pines, Valley League titlist San Pasqual, Harbor League kingpin Crawford, and Grossmont North League winner West Hills. Against North County Conference schools, the Eagles posted a perfect 6-0-0 ledger.
Meanwhile, Grossmont South League titlist Valhalla earned the first seed in Division II after nipping Granite Hills, 1-0, last week, to regain its league crown. The Norsemen (16-2-3) were second only to Scripps Ranch (19-1-1) in victories, but the Falcons were relegated to the third seed due to their strength of schedule, as San Pasqual (14-3-5) took the second seed.
Valhalla will host the winner of the first-round contest between Orange Glen and Oceanside, currently slated for Valhalla Stadium at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Also in Division II action, Grossmont North League champion West Hills will host Mar Vista in Wednesday's opener, with the winner advancing to play Scripps Ranch, while Grossmont goes to Cowles Mountain neighbor Patrick Henry, with the victor next going to San Pasqual.
In Division III, Santana will tangle with
Point Loma in one of four openers, with the winner next meeting
second-seed St. Augustine. In Division IV, Christian could head
to the beach for consecutive contests in La Jolla, first meeting
UC San Diego's The Preuss School in the first round, and with
a victory, a game at The Bishop's School in the quarters.
(02-22-04)
Taylor foils penalty, Martinez forges tie
against champs to secure winning league season for Sultans
EastCountySports.com
Thurs., Feb. 19
West Hills 3, Santana 3, tie --
Seconds away from allowing a fourth consecutive goal, Sultans
keeper Kyle Taylor rejected a penalty kick -- the third such
shot taken by West Hills in the match -- then Jose Martinez scored
with less than eight minutes remaining, allowing Santana to tie
the Grossmont North League champions.
Taylor, who failed to block two earlier penalty attempts, this
time foiled the efforts of Anthony Fortini, who converted earlier
from the mark to start the Wolf Pack's rally from a 2-0 deficit.
"I had some help from our sweeper, Eddie (Mazey), on guessing,"
said Taylor, who took two full strides to his right before the
striking of the ball, which landed squarely in his hands. "You've
got to guess, then go for it, and sometimes it goes your way."
The penalty was set-up when Craig Vermeyon was taken down in
the box with 27:42 remaining. But instead of a two-goal lead,
Santana breathed new life and battled back for a point on the
second assist of the game from senior Tommy Wiley.
Wiley's long throw-in from near the 18 sailed past the entire
corps of Wolf Pack defenders and the goalie, bouncing twice along
the goal line. Martinez simply ran onto the ball and tapped in
the tieing marker with 7:53 remaining.
"They scrapped and came up with three goals," added
Taylor, a senior who opened the season as a fullback. "It's
a good way to finish going into the SDCIF playoffs."
Santana held a decided advantage during the opening half-hour,
scoring first when a long cross by Brian Telle and smashed home
by Evan Wharton to the far post at 19:54. Six minutes later,
Wiley's first long throw-in was headed home by Bobby Friedman
for a 2-0 advantage at 26:03.
However, the Pack rallied to knot the contest by halftime, as
Fortini converted a penalty at 28:56 after Joe McKeon was tackled
in the box, then Vermeyon scored from 12 yards out at 35:55.
West Hills then took its first lead quickly in the second half,
as Fortini was taken down in the box, allowing Ferguson to convert
a PK at 43:31.
Both teams then made key stops in the final minutes to preserve
the deadlock. Santana defender Drew Murphy made a nice tackle
on Ricky Garcia to prevent a breakaway with 5:18 left, then a
Sultans shot to the near left post during added time was saved.
There were no complaints about a tie coming from West Hills.
"It's not a loss, so we can say we went through league with
a loss," said head coach Russ Shubert. "That's something
we can be proud of and never forget, being an undefeated league
champion."
Grossmont 2, Santana 1 -- Carlos Gonzales scored an unassisted
goal with two minutes remaining in the first half, then the Foothillers
turned away every Sultans rush over a scoreless second half to
rally for the victory.
After Santana opened the scoring in the first 10 minutes, Grossmont's
Manny Sevilla scored the tieing goal, heading a throw-in from
Lance Shelton.
With the Sultans loss, West Hills clinched its first Grossmont
North League title since 1993-94 season, as the Wolf Pack will
make it first trip to the CIF playoffs since the 1999-2000 campaign.
(02-19-04)
Matt Smith of Granite Hills (left) and
Valhalla's Travis Hummell converge on the ball during Tuesday's
battle for the Grossmont South League soccer title. The Norsemen
finally prevailed, 1-0, on a Hummell goal at 77:58.
photo by Dennis Navarro
Hummell's return complete with Valhalla's
game-winning goal over Granite Hills
EastCountySports.com
Tue., Feb. 17
NORSEMEN 1, EAGLES 0 -
The difference in the Grossmont South League soccer race may
have occurred Feb. 5, when Monte Vista forged a 2-2 draw with
Granite Hills. The tie forced the Eagles to go for the win in
Tuesday's (Feb. 17) annual Battle for East County with Valhalla,
which could have settled for the draw to claim the GSL title.
And with the visiting Eagles pushing forward upwards of all 11
players - goalie included -- in the final minutes, an opening
for a quick counter-attack opened to decide another classic contest
between these longtime rivals
A steal at midfield by Brian Hughes set-up a 3-on-1 break, with
oft-injured forward Travis Hummell (No. 6, white, above)
marking his recent return to the line-up by scoring with 2:02
remaining, giving the Norsemen a 1-0 triumph over the county's
top-ranked team.
"Brian made the steal and took the ball toward the end line,"
said Hummell, playing in only his third game after missing nearly
two months of action to injury. "Then he played a slashing
ball to me, then I kept my composure and placed it."
"The whole game came down to us perfecting the basics and
placing one in."
Valhalla was anything but content with a scoreless draw, but
barely had enough to repel wave after wave of Granite Hills attacks
in the closing quarter-hour.
Included was a cross by Saul Solis, which floated over the entire
row of defenders, only to clank off the inside of the far-right
goal post. The ball was cleared, a header by Sean Pepin which
bounded wide of the post, and a 50-50 ball which Norsemen keeper
Tommy McClain came off his line to punch out, beating Jason Miller
to the ball in a hard collision.
"We gave the people what they expected," added Norsemen
midfielder Hannibal Smith. "It was a battle between good
teams, and between a lot of good players on both teams."
Norsemen defender Tyler White had the job of marking Pepin, the
Eagles' scoring leader, while several other players took turns
trying to stop Alex Yoshinaga, the school's single-season record-holder
for assists. Still, the question remained whether Valhalla could
finally get a victory against a top-flight team, rather than
its season-long collection of draws with ranked opponents.
"Yes, there were people questioning our passion - questioning
our heart," added Smith. "But there are now a lot of
seniors going home happy tonight."
Helping direct the defense was Justin Elwell, who hopes to attend
either Biola or San Diego State next year.
"We just focused really hard for this," Elwell stated.
"Last year, Granite Hills took the title from us, so we're
excited to get it back."
"Truthfully, that one shot off the post scared me, but after
we got that goal, I knew we could weather the storm."
McClain finished with seven saves, but beating Miller to a 50-50
ball with 6:41 remaining may have been the Eagles' best chance.
Although Miller got a piece of the ball, McClain collected a
bigger section and cleared the ball before the players collided,
forcing Miller out of the contest with a knock on the head.
"Defense -- the defense has done it all year for us,"
said McClain. "We tried to mark Yoshi, who's a helluva player,
but we got our chance and came out on top."
"Now it's up to us to represent East County (in the playoffs)
and show North County we can play, too."
Unfortunately, there will not be a third meeting, as Granite
Hills (Div. I) and Valhalla (Div. II) are in different San Diego
CIF brackets.
With the triumph, Valhalla moves to 15-2-3 overall. Meanwhile,
the loss snapped the Eagles' 11-game unbeaten streak (8-0-3),
as Granite Hills (17-2-4 overall) has now lost just twice in
its previous 79 outings.
West Hills 2, El Capitan 1 -- Ricky Garcia and Liam Ferguson
registered goals following a scoreless first half, then the Wolf
Pack held off a Vaqueros rally to clinch at least a share of
the Grossmont North League crown Tuesday (Feb. 17).
Garcia, the West Hills scoring leader, drilled home a low shot
off a long throw-in by teammate Brandon Pate, as the seniors
combined to break the goal drought in the 50th minute. Less than
10 minutes later, Ferguson drilled a direct free kick from 20
yards out for a 2-0 advantage.
El Capitan battled back, as sophomore Santo Pernicano drilled
home a direct free kick from 25 yards out in the 72nd minute.
However, the Pack turned back a late, mad rush by the Vaqueros
to claim a share of the league title.
(02-17-04)
Eagles handle Cougars in familiar fashion
on senior night
EastCountySports.com
Thurs., Feb. 12
Granite Hills 4, Steele Canyon 1 -- Alex Yoshinaga collected
his 28th assist of the season on a goal by Ryan Loustalet, equaling
the school record in the Eagles rout of the visiting Cougars
on Seniors Night at Valley Stadium. Yoshinaga lifted a direct
kick into the box, where Loustalet finished for the game's opening
goal at 16:17.
"Now that I have the record, not that I was ever going for
it, we can focus on winning," said Yoshinaga, who equaled
the 1985 mark set by Todd Prentice. "Like coach (Sami Nedjar)
says, if we can pass-to-pass-to-pass-to-pass for the goal, it
doesn't matter who did what."
Just 47 seconds later, Sean Pepin scored the first of his two
goals of the half, pushing Granite Hills to a 3-0 halftime lead.
Pepin tapped home an easy rebound following a shot by Gavin Robertson,
which was initially blocked by Cougars goalie Derek Cardinale.
Five minutes later, Pepin scored off a long through-ball by Daniel
McMillin, who entered as a substitute just seconds earlier, touching
the ball softly under the goal to the left post at 22:17.
Goalkeeper Thomas Ryan entered the contest in the second half
in place of starter Brad Faconi, but his first touch of the game
came in the form of a penalty kick -- as the kicker, not the
goalie -- collecting his first career goal at 43:33 after Josh
Sandoval was taken down in the box.
Steele Canyon ruined the shutout bid when a blast by Wayne Lampart
was blocked by Ryan, but Jeff Taitano was there to tap the rebound
into the open net at 64:50. Otherwise, Faconi and Ryan had a
quiet evening, combining for just two saves.
The victory sets-up next Tuesday's (Feb. 17) Grossmont South
League match-up to determine the league titlist, when the Eagles
hit the road for a 6:30 p.m. contest at front-running Valhalla.
In other news, defender Jason Miller was tabbed Eagles player
of the month for January. Miller powered a defensive unit that
did not yield a goal all month in posting seven consecutive shutouts,
as Granite Hills posted a 6-0-1 ledger.
West Hills 2, Grossmont 1 -- The Wolf Pack ended Grossmont's
13-game league unbeaten streak while also eliminating the Foothillers
from title consideration after nipping the defending Grossmont
North League champions.
Overcoming a first-half Hillers goal, seniors Anthony Fortini
and Ricky Garcia scored in the second half to lift West Hills
(9-7-5 overall, 4-0-2 GNL), one of two remaining contenders for
league along with Santana.
(02-12-04)
Eagles get shutout after slow first half
against fast-starting Helix
Tue., Feb. 10
Granite Hills 5, Helix 0 -- The Highlanders carried the early play, but when
the ball struck the hand of a Scotties defender and was ruled
a penalty kick, the shine quickly vanished and the Eagles went
on an easy triumph.
Sean Pepin scored a pair of goals for Granite Hills, including the penalty to open the scoring. Also finding the back of the net were Julio Leon, Shaun Silva and Alex Yoshinaga, backing the shutout goalkeeping of Brad Taconi.
Tie knocks Foothillers from first despite
extending unbeaten streak to 13
EastCountySports.com
Tues., Feb. 10
Grossmont 0, El Capitan 0, tie --
Behind the shutout goalkeeping of All-County goalie Armando Corrado,
the Grossmont Foothillers extended their undefeated streak to
13 consecutive contests in Grossmont North League play Tuesday
(Feb. 10), yet the Hillers still fell out of first place.
Only in soccer, which uses a points system, can a team not lose
and still fail to be the league leader, as Grossmont settled
for its fourth draw in six league starts after its deadlock at
El Capitan Stadium.
"We played hard, yet we couldn't finish," said Hillers
forward Paul Burdick. "It's frustrating knowing we're not
losing, yet not playing good enough to win."
Except for a pair of victories over the league's last-place team,
Grossmont finished tied in every other league game. Thus, with
two contests remaining on the schedule, the Hillers will need
some help in order to defend their championship after going 7-1-0
in league in 2-0-3. The lone setback came in the opener against
the Vaqueros.
"We know we can do better, but we're just not coming through,"
added Burdick.
Grossmont (6-5-8 overall, 2-0-4 GNL) had two excellent chances
in the second half. However, a three-way passing play from Chris
Rangel to Alberto Franco to Burdick saw the junior striker smack
the crossbar. Then with three minutes left, a steal by Carlos
Gonzales led to a forwarding pass to Emmanuel Sevilla just inside
the top of the box, but his toe poke was saved by Vaqueros goalie
Kyle King to preserve his shutout.
El Capitan had opportunities, too. Included was a header by Justin
Snyder off a Todd Jupin centering feed, as the ball landed in
the net, but the play was blown dead for a pushing foul minutes
into the second half. Jupin also saw his own header sail just
wide of the right post on the final touch of the contest, leaving
both teams to walk off in disappointment.
"Todd made a real nice pass to Boomer (Snyder), but then
something happens," noted Vaqueros center-mid Kevin Victor.
Corrado finished with four saves, while King recorded six, and
had several punch-outs.
West Hills 5, El Cajon Valley 0 -- A strong defensive
effort by life easy for back-up goalie Danial Craig, who recorded
the shutout and lift the Wolf Pack into first place after blanking
the Braves. Craig started in place of starting keeper Daniel
Hurley, who was nursing an injury.
West Hills broke the contest open with four second-half goals,
including a pair by junior Joe McKeon. He also earned a penalty
kick for the Pack after getting fouled following a strong run
into the ECV box.
(2-10-04)
Christian's Brent Cady (right) attempts
to stop the drive of Armando Curiel of Hoover in Thursday's Harbor
League game captured by the visiting Cardinals, 3-0. (2-5-04/Photo
by Nick Pellegrino).
Monarchs upset Granite Hills with South
League tie
Thurs., Feb. 5
Monte Vista 2, Granite Hills 2, tie --
Monarchs coach Saul Hernandez has insisted his team is drastically
improving, but the side had little to show for it. At least,
until Thursday's (Feb. 5) contest at Valley Stadium.
Ruben Flores and Alberto Lozano coupled on both Monte Vista goals,
then survived an avalanche of Granite Hills shots in the second
half to collect a 2-2 draw with the defending CIF champions.
The result could lift Valhalla into undisputed possession of
first place in the Grossmont South League, should the Norsemen
have defeated Steele Canyon earlier in the day.
"We really wanted to play well and the team communicated
well out there," noted Hernandez. "And when you feel
good about the way you play, you enjoy challenges such as playing
a great team like Granite Hills."
Both teams traded goals in each half, with Monte Vista striking
first each time.
Lozano redirected a centering pass by Flores, placing the ball
inside the left post on a pretty passing play in at 10:28. Flores
then averted an offsides call to score off a Lozano pass at 55:17.
However, the Eagles rallied both times with Alex Yoshinaga contributing
to both scoring plays.
"Yoshi" scored by knocking home a throw-in by Shaun
Silva at 32:46. Then he helped tie the game a second time when
his corner kick was headed into the net by Sean Pepin at 60:09.
Yoshinaga now has 27 assists this season, tying Chad Williams
for second on the all-time Eagles single-season list. The record
stands at 28, set by Todd Prentiss in 1985.
"They put some pressure on us at the end," said Monarchs
goalie Sergio Gutierrez. "I've seen pressure like that before
in club soccer, but it's been two years since I've seen something
like that in high school."
Gutierrez collected nine saves, while Eagles keeper Thomas Ryan
needed to stop just three shots. It was only the third time all
season (St. Augustine and Crawford) that a team scored more than
one goal against Granite Hills.
Valhalla 2, Steele Canyon 0 -- Junior goalkeeper Tommy McClain posted three
saves for the shutout, as the Norsemen took over sole possession
of first place in the Grossmont South League. Valhalla goals
were scored by Brian Huges and Tyler Cahoon, both seniors.
Hoover 3, Christian 0 -- Jose "Junior" Garcia
scored two goals and added an assist, helping the Cardinals blank
the Patriots. After assisting on a goal by Hector Vidal in the
55th minute at equal strength, Garcia scored twice against a
short-handed Christian side which lost two players and others
to red cards.
Christian became upset after Vidal allegedly tossed an elbow
which bounced off the jaw of Kyler Dwyer. Both officials stated
they did not see the contact, yet the contest then became extremely
physical, resulting in a wide assortment of bookings.
"It was crazy out there," said Hoover coach Eliso "Papo"
Santos. "You have fans cheering when their players get yellow
and red carded -- it's just a high school soccer game."
(02-05-04)
Christian High sophomore Mao Asakawa turns
to keep the ball away from Coronado defender Patrick Ahern during
Wednesday's Harbor League game. The Islanders scored late to
secure a 2-1 verdict. (1-28-04/Photo by Nick Pellegrino).
Yoshinaga signs letter with Notre Dame,
then records six assists in Eagles' victory
East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY - Senior striker Alex Yoshinaga, who signed a national
letter of intent with Notre Dame on Wednesday (Feb.4), recorded
6 assists - one shy of the San Diego CIF record - propelling
the Eagles to an 8-1 romp over Mount Miguel on Tuesday (Feb.
3). "Yoshi" now owns 26 assists this season,
two short of the school's single-season record and 8th most in
SDCIF history. The San Diego Section record is 35.
Benefiting from Yoshinaga's passing was Kyle Hewitt, who recorded
a three-goal hat trick, while Sean Pepin scored twice. Also scoring
for Granite Hills were Saul Solis, Brad Taconi and Gavin Robertson.
However, Mount Miguel sophomore defender Jesus Flores scored
in the 60th minute, the first goal allowed by the Eagles in league
play. The tally also snapped the extensive scoreless streak of
goalie Thomas Ryan, ending at 502 minutes, as the Matadors became
the first team to score on Granite Hills in eight contests.
Christian 3, Madison 1 - The hearty Patriots finally broke
through to end a streak of heartbreaking losses Tuesday (Feb.
3) by downing the Warhawks for their initial Harbor League triumph.
Mao Asakawa scored twice and Kyler Dwyer added another for Christian.
Wolf Pack takes Santana down in cross-town
battle
Tue., Feb. 3
West Hills 3, Santana 2 -- Nick Fortini scored a pair of goals Tuesday (Feb.
3), including the go-ahead tally in the 76th minute, moving the
Wolf Pack into first place at the midway point of the Grossmont
North League schedule after nipping crosstown rival Santana.
Fortini took a pass from Ricky Garcia and redirected a rolling shot to the far right corner, offsetting a Sultans rally from a 2-0 deficit.
"We played surprisingly good despite
the (weather) conditions," said Garcia, who beat two defenders
to advance a centering feed to Fortini. "It was lots
of hard work, but we're finally in first."
Liam Ferguson and Fortini scored in the first half to post an
early advantage, but Santana's Eric Hughes pulled one goal back
by blasting home a direct free kick. However, the Sultans' hopes
to rally were quickly impaired when a player was sent off with
a red card a few minutes later, forcing the team to play short-handed
for more than a half.
However, Santana received a break to tie the contest after nearly
blowing the scoring opportunity.
A corner kick by Evan Wharton rolled harmlessly to a West Hills
player after the ball stuck in the mud. However, the clearing
attempt was completely whiffed due to the rainy, windy conditions,
as the ball went straight to Chris Bello, who slammed a 15-yarder
into the net with 16 minutes remaining.
Both team had chances to break the tie, as a free kick from 25
yards out by Santana's Drew Murphy was saved by winning goalkeeper
Dan Hurley. And West Hills missed a chance when a Joe McKeon
shot landed into the side-netting after the Sultans goalie was
caught out of the box a few minute before Fortini's game-winner.
BREITBARD-SAN DIEGO HALL OF CHAMPIONS
All-San Diego County Teams, Winter 2003-04
FIRST TEAM Justin Elwell Valhalla Senior Def Steve Kaufman La Costa Canyon Senior Fwd Jesse Lyon Rancho Buena Vista Senior Fwd Tommy McClain Valhalla Junior GK Raul Melo Fallbrook Senior Def Jason Miller Granite Hills Senior Def Sean Pepin Granite Hills Senior Fwd Ryan Primus Rancho Buena Vista Senior Def Mike Willrich Scripps Ranch Senior Fwd Marvel Wynne Poway Senior Def Alex Yoshinaga Granite Hills Senior Mid SECOND TEAM Kevin Chiles Poway Senior Mid John Fay Grossmont Senior Swp Anthony Fortini West Hills Senior Fwd Rikard Gellert Torrey Pines Senior Fwd Beno Grossman La Costa Canyon Senior Fwd Kyle Hewitt Granite Hills Junior Mid Casey Lococo Valhalla Senior D/M Nate Medina Mount Carmel Senior Mid Thomas Ryan Granite Hills Senior GK Jamel Wallace Oceanside Junior Fwd Sal Zizzo Patrick Henry Senior Fwd PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Alex Yoshinaga CIF-SAN DIEGO SECTION 2004 PREP BOYS SOCCER CIF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Finals -- Sat., Mar. 6
Division I
At Westview: Granite Hills 1, La Costa Canyon 0, OT
Division II
At USD: Scripps Ranch 4, Mount Carmel 2
Division III
At USD: University City 3, Point Loma 2
Division IV
At Westview: Marian Catholic 4, La Jolla Country Day 0
Semifinals -- Wed., Mar. 3
Division I
At Westview: Granite Hills 5, Fallbrook 0
At Westview: La Costa Canyon 2, Rancho Buena Vista 1, OT
Division II
At Grossmont: Mount Carmel 1, Valhalla 1 (MC wins shootout, 4-3)
At Grossmont: Scripps Ranch 2, Patrick Henry 0
Division III
At La Jolla: University City 4, USDHS 1
At La Jolla: Point Loma 3, Crawford 1
Division IV
At Helix: Marian Catholic 3, The Bishop's 3
At Helix: La Jolla Country Day 3, Santa Fe Christian 0
Quarterfinals -- Sat., Feb. 28
Division I
At Grossmont: Granite Hills 3, Calexico 2
At Fallbrook: Fallbrook 3, Rancho Bernardo 2
At Torrey Pines: Rancho Buena Vista 4, Torrey Pines 1
At Westview: La Costa Canyon 3, Poway 1
Division II
At Helix: Valhalla 3, Orange Glen 0
At Westview: Mount Carmel 2, Hilltop 0
At Westview: Scirpps Ranch 4, West Hills 1
At San Pasqual: Patrick Henry 1, San Pasqual 0, OT
Division III
At USDHS: USDHS 2, Mission Bay 0
At University City: University City 1, La Jolla 0
At Patrick Henry: Crawford 2, San Dieguito Academy 0
At San Diego HS: Point Loma 2, St. Augustine 1
Division IV
At Marian: Marian Catholic 5, Holtville 0
At Spanos Field: The Bishop's 2, Preuss 1
At LJCD: La Jolla Country Day 1, Calvin Christian 0
At TBA: Santa Fe Christian 7, Vincent Memorial 2
First Round -- Wed., Feb. 25
Division I
At Montgomery: Calexico 1, Montgomery 0, OT
At Otay Ranch: Rancho Bernardo 2, Bonita Vista 1
At Rancho Buena Vista: RBV 3, Carlsbad 0
At La Costa Canyon: La Costa Canyon 3, Sweetwater 0
Division II
At Oceanside: Orange Glen 1, Oceanside 0
At Hilltop: Hilltop 4, Escondido 1
At Grossmont: West Hills 4, Mar Vista 0
At Patrick Henry: Patrick Henry 2, Grossmont 0
Division III
At Brawley: Mission Bay 1, Brawley 0
At La Jolla: La Jolla 2, Westview 1
At Torrey Pines: San Dieguito Academy 1, Coronado 0
At Grossmont: Point Loma 3, Santana 1
Division IV
At Imperial: Holtville 1, Imperial 0
At Hoover: Preuss 2, Christian 1
At Calvin Christian: Calvin Christian 3, Francis Parker 1
At TBA: Vincent Memorial 5, Horizon Christian 1
FINAL REGULAR-SEASON RECORDS: GROSSMONT NORTH League Overall W L T PTS GF GA W L T x-West Hills 5 0 3 13 22 13 10 7 6 Grossmont 3 1 4 10 8 6 7 6 8 Santana 3 2 3 9 16 12 7 7 7 El Capitan 2 2 4 8 16 13 10 6 7 El Cajon Valley 0 8 0 0 4 22 3 14 2 . GROSSMONT SOUTH League Overall W L T PTS GF GA W L T x-Valhalla 9 0 1 19 25 1 16 2 3 Granite Hills 7 1 2 16 38 5 18 2 4 Helix 6 4 0 12 22 17 7 11 1 Steele Canyon 3 6 1 7 18 32 4 13 2 Monte Vista 2 6 2 6 12 14 3 12 6 Mount Miguel 0 10 0 0 4 50 1 16 1 . HARBOR LEAGUE League Overall W L T PTS GF GA W L T x-Crawford 8 1 1 25 28 10 16 4 3 Coronado 6 2 2 20 20 13 14 4 3 Hoover 6 2 2 20 28 11 8 3 3 Clairemont 3 4 3 12 14 17 6 10 3 Madison 1 7 2 5 8 23 1 12 2 Christian 1 9 0 3 5 26 5 11 4 x-clinched league title.
Thurs., Feb. 19
gn-West Hills 3, Santana 3, tie
gn-El Capitan 2, El Cajon Valley 1
gs-Helix 7, Steele Canyon 2
gs-Valhalla 3, Monte Vista 0
gs-Granite Hills 8, Mount Miguel 0
Tue., Feb. 17
gn-West Hills 2, El Capitan 1
gs-Valhalla 1, Granite Hills 0
gs-Steele Canyon 6, Mount Miguel 1
gs-Helix 1, Monte Vista 0
gn-Grossmont 2, Santana 1
h-Coronado 4, Christian 0
h-Hoover 2, Clairemont 2, tie
h-Crawford 4. Madison 1
Thurs., Feb. 12
gs-Granite Hills 4, Steele Canyon 1
gn-West Hills 2, Grossmont 1
gs-Valhalla 1, Helix 0
gn-Santana 2, El Cajon Valley 0
gs-Monte Vista 5, Mount Miguel 0
Tue., Feb. 10
gn-West Hills 5, El Cajon Valley 0
gn-Grossmont 0, El Capitan 0, tie
gs-Valhalla 2, Mount Miguel 0
gs-Granite Hills 5, Helix 0
gs-Steele Canyon 0, Monte Vista 0, tie
h-Crawford 5, Christian 0
h-Hoover 6, Madison 0
h-Coronado 2, Clairemont 0
Mon., Feb. 9
gs-Helix 2, Steele Canyon 1(make-up from Feb. 3)
Thurs., Jan. 29
gn-Grossmont 1, Santana 1, tie
gn-West Hills 3, El Capitan 3, tie
gs-Valhalla 0, Granite Hills 0, tie
gs-Helix 2, Monte Vista 1
gs-Steele Canyon 5, Mount Miguel 1
h-Clairemont 2, Christian 0
h-Crawford 1, Hoover 1, tie
h-Coronado 3, Madison 0
Fri., Feb. 6
Crawford 1, Patrick Henry 0
Helix vs. Alumni, late (exhibition)