The562’s coverage of Cabrillo Athletics is sponsored by the Cohn Family.
It will be hard to slow down Cabrillo boys’ soccer this season.
With Duane Baker, Nathan Mosqueda, Jesus Torres, Javier Palomares returning starters in attack, longtime coach Pat Noyes has high expectations for his program that is now starting the season in CIF-SS Division 1.
“I love my team,” Noyes said. “We’re better offensively than last year because we’re less selfish. I’ve got multiple guys on the front line who can score goals.”
Only a handful of players on this Jaguars roster weren’t involved in the Division 3 quarterfinal loss to Newport Harbor in penalty kicks last season. The defeat was heartbreaking, but it also proved something to these returning players.
“We showed what we were capable of, and we still have a group of players from last year who don’t want the same thing to happen,” said senior Alex Ochoa-Suarez (pictured). “Mentally and physically we’re going for it all. That’s being fit, competing for every ball, staying tough and being on attack because we know we can be dangerous.”
Cabrillo’s senior class has been through much. Their freshman year was the COVID season, their sophomore year had so much rain that rescheduling caused them to play five games in seven days while in the playoff hunt. Now this year the entire Long Beach soccer community is dealing with the referee strike.
“We’re just trying to play,” Ochoa-Suarez said. “It’s working as a team, supporting one another and when we make a mistake not letting that get to us. It really bothers Noyes a lot when we lose the ball and we put our head down. If we lose the ball he wants us to fight for it and not let it affect our game.”
When they get those coveted opportunities, Noyes wants his team to be playing quality programs like Edison, Palos Verdes, Mira Costa, Los Al, Santa Ana and Trabuco Hills.
“Those games hopefully set us up to do well in Moore League, and the league is going to be brutally hard,” Noyes said.
A kind donation from Newport Harbor’s soccer program has also given Noyes some help for his team. A set of GPS trackers for the players to wear has given them a better idea of spacing and individual highlights. In a scrimmage earlier this month, Noyes said that Mosqueda ran 11.5 miles in 80 minutes on the field.
The Jaguars won’t hesitate to push numbers forward with Mosqueda behind striker Jose Garcia, and Palomares and Alan Flores flanking him. Baker and Jesus Torres will play behind Mosqueda in the midfield.
Angel Cervantes and Ochoa-Suarez will play right and left back, respectively. Ochoa-Suarez said he spent the offseason working on fitness because he’s a smaller player who wants to stay more controlled on the ball and work harder to get open.
Alex Medina, Victor Orozco and Moises Estrada will share the duties at center back in front of returning goalkeeper Ezra Salcido.
“We have to overcome some adversity and understand there’s likely going to be some problems, and then be able to bounce back,” Noyes said of the early season challenges.
Cabrillo hasn’t won the league title since 2016.
