The562’s soccer coverage for the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by Beach Futbol Club.
The562’s coverage of Millikan athletics in the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
The last month or so has been full of must-win games for the Millikan boys’ soccer team, and they played like they’re used to big moments on Thursday in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs.
Millikan used its pace and passion to take an early lead against La Quinta and held on for a 3-2 victory. The Rams will travel to Hart on Saturday for the second round.
“We felt like offensively we could get after them just based on who we talked to and any sort of film we were able to see,” Millikan coach Jeff Schofield said. “We were prepared for this game tonight, for sure.”
Senior striker David Villanueva scored the first goal in the 13th minute, and then after La Quinta equalized at the half hour mark, he drew the penalty kick in the second half to give his team the lead for good.
“When we were in the locker room and listening to our music I felt good coming out here,” Villanueva said. “I wanted to keep our season alive and we all did. We wanted to show that by coming out and playing fast and strong.”
Villanueva showed that passion on the opening kickoff when he chased it down into the La Quinta end and deflected the ball with a slide tackle.
“That stuff is contagious,” Schofield said of Villanueva. “When he’s going he drags everybody along. His pace sets the tone for us offensively and defensively.”
Millikan (15-4-7) outshot La Quinta 8-4 in the first half and 14-10 in the game while taking advantage of the visitors’ high defensive line. That’s how the first goal came about when Aaron De Leon chipped a cross into the box where Villanueva beat the keeper for the lead.
La Quinta (14-5-5) was getting outshot 5-0 in the 28th minute when it converted on its first shot of the game as Aidan Brothers netted a one-time finish to equalize. Both teams had quality opportunities to take a lead after that, but they went to halftime even 1-1.
Millikan kept the pressure on in the second half, and in the 55th minute Juan Vasquez played a perfect ball forward from the midfield for Villanueva to run onto and get fouled in the box for a penalty kick. Senior Juan Ramirez Escobedo stepped up and converted the PK for the lead.
“I knew they were coming in hard with a lot of slide tackles and I knew I could win something if I baited him a little bit,” Villanueva said. “I just had to get in front and I know what to do when I’m up there.”
The Rams defensive back three of Issac Machuca, Orlando Rost and Connor Cummings were stout against a much bigger and more physical La Quinta front line.
“I always say it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,” Machuca said. “As long as we can connect and play we can get through these guys.”
Millikan took a 3-1 lead in the 62nd minute when De Leon played a perfect ball through for Jalen Segal to finish with one touch.
La Quinta pushed numbers forward after the hour mark, but could only muster a penalty kick in the final minutes.
“We need to vary the game a little bit more,” Schofield said of his team’s performance going forward. “We had some success playing over the top early and playing behind and then we kind of fell in love with it. You’ve got to have a balance.”
Villanueva thinks his team has a great opportunity waiting in the postseason.
“We love this game, we want to win it all and we want to do this for each other,” Villanueva said.
