One hundred and eight days after opening the season with a 7-1 win at Avalon High on Catalina, the Cabrillo boys’ soccer team is hosting the last game of its historic campaign today.
The No. 2 Jaguars are welcoming No. 3 Westview at 4 p.m. in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II Boys’ Soccer Championship final. Cabrillo is the first boys’ soccer team from Long Beach to reach a CIF State championship game, and this is the first one hosted in the city.
“It’s been great to have these games on the Westside,” Cabrillo coach Pay Noyes said. “The team has been playing really loose, and playing really well.”
Noyes made a point to keep his team relaxed this week while playing a pair of CIF State games after the disappointing loss to Arlington in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship.
“The last couple of practices we’ve had have been small sided transition games and we’ve just been shooting,” Noyes said. “We’ve been a good offensive team, and now we’re playing loose and free.”
Westview (15-8-5) won the CIF San Diego Division 1 championship last weekend after only finishing third in the Palomar League. The Wolverines are led by Izel Smith (#12) who has a team-high 20 goals. The senior striker has three goals in the CIF State playoffs.
Cabrillo sophomore Arnold Giron has also scored three goals in the CIF State playoffs, and six in the last four postseason games. The Jaguars defense has limited its opponents to just six shots on goal in the last three games.
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