For weeks the Cabrillo boys’ soccer team has been making history every time they take the field, and on Thursday they did it in epic fashion as seven different Jaguars scored to beat visiting San Fernando 7-0 in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II Boys’ Soccer Championships semifinals.
“It was amazing that I got to play everyone including our JV goalkeeper,” Cabrillo coach Pat Noyes said. “(The team) is super loose. This is our fourth season with preseason, league season, CIF season and now CIF State so I wanted to get the whole team involved and I’m very happy I’ve been able to do that.”
Cabrillo is the first Long Beach high school boys soccer program to reach a CIF State final, and will host Westview (San Diego) on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Division II championship game.
Senior Brayan Valenzuela got the scoring barrage started in the second minute when he cleaned up a loose ball at the top on the 18-yard box and finished near post.
“It feels so good to have two games in a row where we’re back at it and going to a final again,” Valenzuela said. “We don’t have compassion for the other team. We just want to score and win, and win and win.”
Cabrillo did exactly that as junior Eduardo Mosqueda (‘8) sophomore Arnold Giron (13’) and junior Daniel Figueroa (25’) also scored to make it 4-0 at halftime. Seniors Jesus Navarrete, David Llamas and Chris Tejada all scored in the second half. Mosqueda had two assists while Navarrete, Figueroa and Leo Corona each had one.
The Jaguars already played in the first CIF Southern Section championship game in school history last weekend when they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Arlington. The Lions lost to Westview on Thursday, ruining any chance at a rematch. However, before the final score came in, Noyes said he would rather one more game on the Westside.
“Revenge would be great, but another home game on this side of town would be better,” he said.
