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2007 Prep Soccer
San Diego Section

Prep Previews/Reports

SuHi’s Corona named CIF Player of the Year
Posted April 4, 2008
On any successful sports team, there is a leader. Senior Joe Corona filled that assignment — and filled it well — for the 2007-08 Sweetwater High School Red Devils boys soccer team.

The Devils, who seemingly could get no respect from the rankings makers during the regular season, made a sensational run through the San Diego Section Division II playoffs to capture the championship title.

Corona scored the game-winning goal in Sweetwater’s 1-0 victory against Oceanside. It was his 20th of the season.

He earned honors as the Division II Player of the Year.

It’s an award that SuHi coach Raul Galindo said was rightly deserved.

“He brought everybody else to the level we needed to get to,” Galindo said. “He obviously had the skills but he didn’t put himself above the team. We worked as a single unit. He was the heart of the team.”

Though Corona will depart due to graduation in June, Galindo said Corona will “leave a lasting impression” on the team.

“Even though he won’t be back, he’s left a positive attitude with our juniors," Galindo said. “I think there will be a lot of guys who will want to follow in his footsteps as far as having the same type of enthusiasm for the game, and help us make it back to the championship game. As long as we have that same enthusiasm and synergy, we’ll be successful.”

Corona was among three Devils to earn all-section honors. Alfonso Osuna was named to the All-Division II First Team along with Galindo while senior Omar Alcazar earned All-Division II Second Team honors.

Sweetwater finished the season 18-7-1. The 18 wins were the most posted by any team in the division, including top-seeded Westview (11-8-7) and second-seeded Orange Glen (14-6-3).


All-Section
Otay Ranch senior Anthony Rodriguez made the Division I First Team while Bonita Vista senior Arturo Cuevas and Chula Vista senior Andres Canizales both earned recognition on the Division I Second Team.

Chula Vista (10-8-7) advanced as far as the Division I semifinals while Bonita Vista (13-5-3) also made the playoffs, losing in the first round to longtime North County power Torrey Pines.

Southwest (16-4-4) reached the Division III championship game and the Raiders came away with two all-section picks. Junior Jose Altamirano earned All-Division III First Team honors while junior Julio Barajas earned All-Division III Second Team recognition.

Montgomery had two players receive All-Division III honors: senior Joshua Esteban (First Team) and sophomore Kevin Sanchez (Second Team).

Mater Dei, which reached the Division IV semifinals, had two players earn All-Division IV First Team honors: senior Rodrigo Herrera and junior Jason Myers. Sophomore Hadrian Sanchez received Second Team recognition.

Boys All-San Diego Section
Division I
Player of the Year: Mike Denny (Rancho Bernardo)
Championship team: Poway Titans
Division II
Player of the Year: Joe Corona (Sweetwater)
Championship team: Sweetwater Red Devils
Division III
Player of the Year: Jordan Gafa (Cathedral Catholic)
Championship team: Cathedral Catholic Dons
Division IV
Player of the Year: Austin Speer (Coronado)
Championship team: Coronado Islanders

2007-08 Mesa League All-League Boys Soccer Teams
First Team
Arturo Cuevas Bonita Vista 12
Froy Nolasco Bonita Vista 12
Carlos Arredondo Bonita Vista 10
Anthony Rodriguez Otay Ranch 12
Sergio Vilallva Otay Ranch 12
David Ramirez Chula Vista 12
Andres Canizales Chula Vista 12
Joe Corona Sweetwater 12
Alfonso Osuna Sweetwater 11
Omar Alcazar Sweetwater 12
Aki Wantan Eastlake 11

Championship team
Sweetwater Red Devils (8-2-0)

Player of the Year
Joe Corona (Sweetwater)

Second Team
Marco Gutierrez Bonita Vista 10
David Miguel Bonita Vista 12
Gioivanni Martinez Otay Ranch 12
Christopher Torres Otay Ranch 12
Andre Elias Otay Ranch 11
Kevin Reyes Chula Vista 12
Jesus Vela Chula Vista 10
Miguel Castrejon Sweetwater 12
Alan Gudino Sweetwater 12
Jamie Wood Eastlake 12
Alex Esparza Eastlake 12

Honorable Mention
Fabian Machado Bonita Vista 11
Wanjae Shin Bonita Vista 11
Marquis Brooks Otay Ranch 11
Pedro Diaz Otay Ranch 10
Miguel Santiago Chula Vista 12
Luis Herrera Chula Vista 11
Francisco Guzman Sweetwater 12
Martin Gonzalez Sweetwater 12
Alvaro Palomino Eastlake 11
Xavier Vargas Eastlake 12

2007-08 Mesa League All-League Girls Soccer Teams
First Team
Ellie Magracia Bonita Vista 12
Sarah Grable Bonita Vista 12
Casey Lockey Bonita Vista 11
Yasmin Davalos Bonita Vista 12
Alexis Barbara Eastlake 12
Ashley Daily Eastlake 12
Nicole Williams Eastlake 12
Bianka Saenz Otay Ranch 9
Brittany Bueno Otay Ranch 12
Jessica Fletes Chula Vista 11
Jenny Jimenez Sweetwater 11

Championship team
Bonita Vista Barons (9-0-1)

Player of the Year
Ellie Magracia (Bonita Vista)

Second Team
Bianca Moreira Bonita Vista 12
Linsey McFarland Bonita Vista 10
Carly Schoch Bonita Vista 10
Nyesha Simmons Eastlake 12
Danielle Mazzella Eastlake 11
Ruth Moreira Otay Ranch 9
Yazmin Osorio Otay Ranch 9
Sarai Alvarado Chula Vista 11
Jennifer Rodriguez Chula Vista 10
Julia Rojas Sweetwater 12
Yanira Michel San Ysidro 12

Honorable Mention
Ivana Marcks Bonita Vista 10
Sadie Spezzano Bonita Vista 11
Rachel Naranjo Eastlake 11
Cristina Martinez Eastlake 11
Gigi Banales Otay Ranch 9
Chloe Banales Otay Ranch 12
Adrienne Bidwell Chula Vista 9
Alma Garcia Chula Vista 10
Zahyra Valdovinos Sweetwater 10
Samara Arauz Sweetwater 12

2007-08 South Bay League All-League Boys Soccer Teams
First Team
Jose Altamirano Southwest, 11
Jose Olivares Southwest, 12
Carlos Ruiz Southwest, 12
Joshua Esteban Montgomery, 12
Isaac Quezada Montgomery, 11
Angel Holguin Castle Park, 11
Arturo Gomez Castle Park, 10
Rodrigo Herrera Mater Dei, 12
Jason Myers Mater Dei, 11
Antonio Govea Olympian, 10
Raul Sinohui Mar Vista, 11

Second Team
Angel Contreras Southwest, 11
Alexis Guadalupe Southwest, 10
Armando Castillo Southwest, 12
Kevin Sanchez Montgomery, 10
Jovan Esteban Montgomery, 9
Oscar Robles Olympian, 10
Armando Martinez Mater Dei, 12
Luis De La Concha Mater Dei, 12
Ricardo Alvarado Mar Vista, 12
Alberto Juarez Castle Park, 11
Gustavo Fonseca Castle Park, 11

Player of the Year
Jose Altamirano (Southwest)

Championship Teams
Castle Park Trojans (9-1-2)
Southwest Raiders (9-1-2)

South Bay League Standings
School W-L-T
Castle Park 9-1-2
Southwest 9-1-2
Mater Dei 5-4-3
Hilltop 5-5-2
Montgomery 5-6-1
Mar Vista 2-9-1
Olympian 0-9-3

2007-08 South Bay League All-League Girls Soccer Teams
First Team
Jayde Aman Hilltop, 12
Marlene Canillas Hilltop, 12
Sasha Franklin Hilltop, 12
Nicole Wolfe Hilltop, 9
Ivanna Heard Mater Dei, 12
Karinna Himan Mater Dei, 11
Lauren Elise Judal Mater Dei, 11
Alexandra Escalante Montgomery, 11
Mayra Talamantes Montgomery, 12
Jeanette Sahagun Mar Vista, 12
Anais Baltran Southwest, 11

Second Team
Casey Dow Hilltop, 11
Myranda Hess Hilltop, 12
Erica Hernandez Hilltop, 12
Violeta Arista-Palacios Mater Dei, 11
Illissa Fernandez Mater Dei, 12
Danielle Dorame Montgomery, 11
Michelle Villanueva Montgomery, 10
Jessica Marentes Mar Vista, 12
Monzerrat Tauera Mar Vista, 9
Olympia Tirado Southwest, 11
Yesenia Obeso Castle Park, 12

Player of the Year
Jayde Aman (Hilltop)

Championship Team
Hilltop Lancers (11-1-0)

South Bay League Standings
School W-L-T
Hilltop 11-1-0
Mater Dei 6-1-4
Montgomery 7-2-3
Mar Vista 3-4-3
Southwest 1-5-2
Olympian 0-6-0
Castle Park 0-9-0
Note: standings incomplete.

Division II San Diego Section Championship
Red Devils are CIF champions!
Unranked Sweetwater earns respect on the pitch with title win

Posted March 8, 2008
It took less than a minute for the Sweetwater Red Devils boys soccer team to score in last Saturday’s San Diego Section Division II championship game against Oceanside. It took the remainder of the 80-minute match played at Helix High School to hold off the Pirates to claim a tight but ever-so-rewarding 1-0 victory.

“Who would have known at the time that would be it,” SuHi coach Raul Galindo said. “The bottom line is that we held them off.”

The bottom line is that the Devils are 2007-08 CIF champions.

“I just went up and (Saul Ruiz) crossed it,” senior forward Joe Corona said in describing his goal at the 28-second mark on a picture-perfect head shot that stood up as the only goal of the match played by two teams that had recorded upset wins to reach the final.

Oceanside defeated second-seeded Orange Glen, 2-0, on Feb. 23 to advance to the semifinals against third-seeded West Hills, in the process dethroning the defending champion Patriots. The Pirates advanced to their second consecutive final with a 2-1 overtime win against the Wolf Pack.

Sweetwater, seeded fifth, recorded a 2-1 double overtime win at fourth-seeded Mt. Carmel in the quarterfinals before pounding a Hoover team by a 6-1 score in the semifinals after the Cardinals had eliminated top-seeded Westview, 2-1, in overtime in the previous round.

The Red Devils ended the season with an 18-7-1 record after winning the Mesa League title with an 8-2-0 mark. The Pirates finished 11-5-8 this season, once again as the division runner-up.

The division title was the first for the National City school since 1997.

Galindo said it was difficult for his team to sustain the emotional level it had exhibited in its two previous playoff victories, so the low-scoring game might not have been a surprise. However, the goal of winning a championship never eluded the Devils regardless of whether they had to play from behind or protect a narrow lead.

“It’s great to get back to old tradition,” said Galindo, who played on the Devils’ 1991 CIF runner-up team. “Sweetwater used to have a great soccer tradition. We got away from it for a while but it’s returning. We’d like it to continue.”

Corona has scored 20 goals this season and his 1-0 strike came right off the opening kick-off. Ruiz gathered the ball along the touchline and sprinted down the left attacking wing, crossing a perfect pass along the end line to a leaping Corona.

The Pirates regrouped and forced more of the play for about a 20-minute period before the Devils closed out the first half strong but without further scoring.

Sweetwater held a territorial advantage to start the second half of play but Oceanside closed out the game exceptionally strong, missing an almost sure equalizer on a shot wide of the post just past the midway mark of the 40-minute period.

Ruiz was one of the main reasons the Devils were able to post the win on the basis of his superb defensive play along the touchline as SuHi forwards and midfielders were increasingly forced into defensive roles.

An obvious motivating factor in Sweetwater’s championship playoff run was the lack of respect shown the Devils. Bonita Vista ended the season ranked 10th in the section — that on the strength of a season-opening victory against Mt. Carmel.

However, Sweetwater hammered the Barons by a 5-1 score in a first-round Mesa League encounter. Despite also dropping league matches against San Ysidro and Chula Vista, Bonita Vista continued to inexplicably retain the No. 10 section ranking.

“It’s sad that we weren’t ranked,” Galindo said. “Three of the top five ranked teams all made it to the CIF finals (and five of the top eight teams).”

But the Devils knew they had something special this season and proved it when it counted most.


Raiders place second
Second-seeded Southwest finished runner-up to top-seeded Cathedral Catholic in the Division III boys final played at Valhalla High School after the Dons (25-2-2) recorded an impressive 3-1 victory. The Raiders (15-4-4) trailed 2-0 early before rallying with a goal in the 35th minute. However, Southwest — the reigning South Bay League co-champions — could not muster the game-tying goal thereafter, eventually surrendering a third goal in the final minute of play in the opening half.

Cathedral Catholic scored just 18 seconds into the match and doubled the score in the 27th minute. Mike Marotta gave the Dons (No. 2 in the section in the final regular season poll) the incredibly fast lead while Nick Finn had the second goal. Jordan Gafa made it 3-1 for the victors.

The game was a showcase for Southwest’s Jose Altamirano, the 2007-08 South Bay League Player of the Year who received a call-up to the USA men’s under-20 team at midseason. He drove a perfectly-placed corner kick to Jaime Moya, who poked the ball into the net after Dons goalkeeper Mike McDonald had the ball dislodged in a collision while going up for Altamirano’s cross.

Raiders coach Memo Medina said to look for a return appearance by his team.

“Eight of our 11 starters are underclassmen. We’ll be back next year,” Medina said. “The kids kept to their goal all season, which was to get here. It was a learning experience for them. I don’t think they’ll want to lose like this again.”

The youthful Raiders were forced to play catch-up from the opening whistle. “The first 20 minutes, when the game was basically decided, we needed to play our game,” Medina said. “We needed to keep it on the ground. Instead, we played their game.”

Cornerkicks
Ten San Diego Section teams — six girls teams and four boys teams — were selected to compete in the inaugural Southern California regional championship tournament. Eight teams were bracketed in three divisions. Six teams advanced to Thursday's semifinals following quarterfinal-round wins on Tuesday.

Not among those San Diego area teams advancing was Torrey Pines, ranked No. 1 in the nation, after a 1-0 loss in the Division I girls bracket to visiting Thousand Oaks. The Falcons had entered the regional playoff match riding a 53-game unbeaten streak that dated back to 2006.

Cathedral Catholic (San Diego Section Division III champion) earned the No. 1 seed in the girls Division II regional, besting Oak Park 4-0, while fifth-seeded Coronado (San Diego Section Division IV champion) edged fourth-seeded Agoura in a penalty kick tiebreaker, also in girls Division II regional play. Second-seeded Bishop's (San Diego Section Division IV runner-up) and fourth-seeded Francis Parker (San Diego Section Division Division IV semifinalist) both advanced with victories in girls Division III regional action. Bishop's topped St. Margaret’s, 5-0, while Francis Parker edged Murrieta Calvary Chapel by a 2-1 score.

The two boys teams that posted opening-round wins included San Diego Section Division I champion Poway (3-2 in penalty kicks over Santa Ana Saddleback) and San Diego Section Division III champion Cathedral Catholic (5-0 over Thermal Desert Mirage).
The finals in all divisions are scheduled Saturday in the L.A. area.

Metro teams prove tough enough
Sweetwater, Southwest advance to soccer finals
Posted Feb. 28, 2008
Wednesday’s 6-1 victory over visiting Hoover in the semifinal-round of this year’s San Diego Section Division II playoffs may not have been the Sweetwater boys soccer team’s finest hour —that was likely reserved for its 2-1 double-overtime victory at fourth-seeded Mt. Carmel four days earlier in the quarterfinals — but it clearly stood as its most important win in the Red Devils’ run through post-season play.

No. 5 Sweetwater (17-7-1) will face Oceanside (11-4-8) in Saturday’s Division II championship game at Helix High School. Kick-off is 4 p.m.
The Devils will attempt to add to their 1997 CIF title after scoring runner-up finishes in 1996 and 1991.

“I don’t know if it was my halftime speech itself but the guys listened,” said SuHi coach Raul Galindo, whose fiery words at intermission seemed to ignite a spark that led to four second-half goals by the hosts. “The skills are obviously there. But the guys listen. A coach cannot ask for anything more.”

The Devils’ goal barrage against an undermanned Hoover team (the Cardinals played the final 67 minutes of the contest down a player after a red card ejection in the 13th minute) was definitely appreciated by what school officials called the largest soccer crowd in Sweetwater history. An estimated 700 to 800 fans took in the game. The crowd was as loud as it was large, funneling energy directly onto the field.

The Devils needed it after losing some momentum in the final 15 minutes of the opening half.

Sweetwater led 2-0 just 17 minutes into the match but the No. 8 Cardinals — upset overtime winners over No. 1 Westview in the quarterfinals — halved the score with 18 minutes left in the first half and nearly took the lead on two ensuing near-misses in front of SuHi goalkeeper Erick Galindo.

“We did real well in our first-round game. We beat Scripps Ranch 4-1,” Galindo said. “The game against Mt. Carmel was the best we’ve played all year. We put everything into it. It was an emotional game. We put so much into that game that it was difficult to match that type of performance. I think that was our problem in the first half of this game. After the half, the guys regrouped.”

Sweetwater took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick goal by Martin Gonzalez in the 13th minute. Hoover was penalized when a defender intentionally knocked down a ball with his hand just when it appeared the ball was ready to cross the goal line.

Felix Valdovinos doubled the SuHi lead four minutes later when he converted a perfect square pass from teammate Miguel Castrejon, who had intercepted a pass and promptly made like lightning down the sideline. Valdovinos had missed on a clean breakaway in the opening minutes of the game — putting the ball over the crossbar when facing an open net — but he did not make the same mistake twice.

The Devils appeared in total control of the game until the Cardinals (16-5-2) struck for a goal in the 22nd minute. The hosts were extremely fortunate not to be down a goal going into halftime after the visitors twice flubbed on point-blank goal-scoring opportunities.

Galindo implored his team, playing a man up, to “put (Hoover) away.” His plea was promptly answered.

Castrejon likely provided the killer goal 14 minutes into the second half by finishing off a nice pass from teammate Joe Corona — who had both goals in the quarterfinal victory against the Sundevils — after Corona had blown down the wing and dribbled the ball into the box, weaving through a maze of Hoover defenders.

The floodgates opened thereafter. Six minutes later it was 4-1 SuHi when Castejon headed in a cross from Saul Martinez. Sweetwater took a 5-1 lead with 18 minutes to play when Omar Alcazar scored the first of his two goals, the other coming four minutes later to make the score 6-1.

The Devils scored four goals in a 12-minute span and three goals in a six-minute span.

Oceanside defeated West Hills (9-8-6) to advance to Saturday’s final.The Pirates topped second-seeded Orange Glen in the quarterfinals.

Trojans advance to CIF quarterfinals

Posted Feb. 21, 2008
The Castle Park Trojans boys soccer team advanced in San Diego Section Division III playoffs with a 2-1 victory on their home pitch Wednesday against the Brawley Wildcats.

Goals in the match were scored by Adrian Ledezma and Alfredo Rodriguez. The Wildcats, whose season was ended by the loss, carried a 7-12-5 final record back to the Imperial Valley.

The Trojans, 2008 South Bay League co-champions, improved their season record to 10-2-3. The only blemishes on their record are losses to Point Loma and Crawford.

While the Pointers are in the Division II playoffs, the Trojans may get an opportunity to redeem themselves against the Colts, who carried a 15-5-1 record into the Division III tournament, now narrowed to four teams.

Trojan head coach Hector Sanchez is preparing his squad, which must win only two more games to earn a CIF championship banner for the Trojan gym.
Other South Bay boys teams in the soccer playoffs included Bonita Vista and Chula Vista (both in Division I), Sweetwater (Division II), Montgomery (Division III) and Mater Dei (Division IV).

Girls teams in the tournament included Bonita Vista (Division I), Hilltop and Sweetwater (both in Division II), Montgomery (Division III) and Mater Dei (Division IV).

All five girls teams lost in first-round play on Tuesday.

Bonita Vista fell 3-2 in overtime to visiting Rancho Buena Vista. The Barons led 1-0 at halftime on an unassisted goal by Sadie Spezzano. The Longhorns struck for goals in the 66th and 71st minutes, with Bonita Vista forcing overtime on a dramatic goal by Sarah Grable with one second remaining in regulation play.

RBV scored the game-winning goal 11 minutes into the first overtime period after a spirited scramble, by both teams, in the box.

Boys Playoffs
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Division I
Chula Vista 1, RBV 0

Division II
Sweetwater 4, Scripps Ranch 1

Division III
Canyon Crest 4, Montgomery 3

Division IV
Mater Dei 1, High Tech High 0

Girls Playoffs
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 19
Division I
RBV 3, Bonita Vista 2 (OT)

Division II
Point Loma 3, Hilltop 1
Mt. Carmel 6, Sweetwater 2

Division III
El Capitan 6, Montgomery 0

Division IV
Holtville 1, Mater Dei 0

Eastlake girls soccer team seeks respect, playoff berth

Posted Feb. 14, 2008
The Eastlake Titans may not have beaten the host Bonita Vista Barons in last Friday’s girls soccer showdown for first place in the Mesa League standings but the Titans did receive some respect from the rankings-makers after leaving the field in a scoreless draw.

The Titans entered this week ranked 10th in the section by San Diego Soccer News — two spots behind the No. 8 Barons.

“You showed you were one of the better teams in the county today,” Eastlake coach Martin Casas told his team after its dominating performance against first place Bonita Vista. “You impressed me. I’m proud of you.”

For those who watched the game, they had to be impressed by the performance put forth by the Titans — regardless on which sideline they were standing. Eastlake controlled just about every offensive aspect of the game, missing on a penalty kick and hitting the post on another shot before being forced to settle for the scoreless tie.

The Titans (6-1-1 in league, 11-8-2 overall) showed they appear to be ready in advance of the upcoming San Diego Section playoffs.

“We played seven of the top 10 teams at the beginning of the season — that’s why we have so many losses,” said Casas, whose team fell by a 2-1 score to the Barons in first-round league play.

The Titans are buttressed by four players who won a State Cup title last year for the Chula Vista Rangers under-16 girls team: Rachel Naranjo, Cristina Martinez, Lindsey Gatlin and Allie Barbara.

Eastlake is also keyed by six seniors: Breann Bailey, Ashley Daily, Allison Gain, Kadie Hannigan, Nicole Williams and Barbara.

Bonita Vista coach Ron Pietila, whose team improved to 7-0-1 in league play, 15-7-1 overall, with last Friday’s draw, said he was proud of the resiliency displayed by his team in the wake of having its two best players — Ellie Magracia and Sara Grable — taking the field with minor injuries.

“We weren’t at full strength but they gave everything they got,” said Pietila, whose team remained three points ahead of the second-place Titans in the standings . “You can’t do some things when you’re not playing at full speed. Four of our seven losses have come with less than two minutes to play. For us to hold on under pressure, I thought our girls held up nicely.”

The section playoffs kick off Feb. 20.

Besides Bonita Vista and Eastlake, Hilltop, Sweetwater and Marian Catholic are other top playoffs contender in the Metro Conference.

Boys Soccer
Sweetwater captured this year’s Mesa League title after last Friday’s 3-1 win at San Ysidro. The victory improved the Red Devils to 7-1 in league play — eight points ahead of second place Bonita Vista and Chula Vista (both 4-3-1 in league).

Southwest and Castle Park were in a battle for the South Bay League lead while Mater Dei and Hilltop were battling for third place.

Red Devils have opponents seeing red
Posted Jan. 31, 2008
After Wednesday’s 5-1 victory at Bonita Vista High School, the Sweetwater boys soccer team appears to have firm control of its own championship designs in the Mesa League. The win over the Barons raised the Red Devils’ record to 5-0 to close out the first round of league play; the loss left Bonita Vista with a record of 2-2-1.

Wednesday’s game looked to be a match-up of unbeaten league squads until the sixth-ranked Barons were upset 2-0 last Friday at San Ysidro.
“I never count them out — they’re Bonita,” SuHi coach Raul Galindo said. “In my four years as a player at Sweetwater, we never beat them. We won league my sophomore year but didn’t beat them. I don’t care if Bonita doesn’t have anybody coming back, they always manage to have a good team. I have that much respect for them.”

The Devils (11-5-1 overall) had to earn some respect among the rankings makers after hanging a 2-1 defeat on defending Division I champion Otay Ranch last Friday on a bumpy field at Gail Devers Stadium and zooming past a Bonita Vista team off to a top 10 start.

SuHi received goals from five players in Wednesday’s eye-opening win: Joe Corona, Omar Alcazar, Miguel Castrejon, Joaquin Nunez and Alan Gudino. The visitors opened up a 2-0 lead and walked off the field with three unanswered goals in the second half after the Barons had closed the gap to 2-1 at halftime. Goalkeeper Erick Pulido was credited with five saves for the victors.

Castrejon scored the opening goal in the game against Otay Ranch. Corona scored the game-winner late in the second half after the Mustangs had equalized the score.

Galindo said both victories were extremely emotional for his team. “They (Otay Ranch) had tied us in the second half and we couldn’t seem to score another goal even though we had so many chances and we knew we had to score another goal to win the game,” Galindo said. “In this game (against Bonita Vista), we knew we couldn’t afford to lose it because it could cause us some problems in the second half (of league play).”

The second half of the season appears to belong to the Devils after a rocky start to the 2007-08 campaign. “Poway was our very first game and we got killed 5-0,” said Galindo, a 1993 SuHi alum. “We got better but it was the little things here and there that kept us from winning close games. It was at the beginning of January that the team just decided it wasn’t going to lose any more games by one point. We had lost three games by one point. The team just decided to come together and start playing as a team. I think speed and ball control are our biggest attributes. We play with a lot of synergy.”

Otay Ranch, which hosts Sweetwater on Feb. 12, remains in the hunt for the Mesa League title should Sweetwater suddenly run into a slump as the regular season comes to a close. The Mustangs (8-3-2 overall) had dropped contests to both Bonita Vista and SuHi in the opening round of league play.

The Red Devils kick off second-round league play with a match at Eastlake on Wednesday, followed by a game at home Friday against Chula Vista. Sweetwater plays at upset-minded San Ysidro Feb. 8, at Otay Ranch the following Wednesday and closes out league play by hosting Bonita Vista on Feb. 14.

Otay Ranch coach Brian Lewis said last Friday’s game against the Devils came down to “one bounce” on the bumpy field. “They got it,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t. It’s not in our hands any more. We’ll need some help. We’re still in contention but somebody else will have to beat them.”


The Mustangs — 2006 South Bay League champions and 2007 Mesa League champions — were missing reigning San Diego Section Player of the Year Anthony Rodriguez (ill) along with starter Pedro Diaz for last Friday’s key encounter. To compound the team’s depth problem, sweeper Christopher Torres was injured during the game and had to leave the field.

“Having Anthony out was a huge difference,” Lewis said. “This field (at Sweetwater) is the worst field in the district. This field is to their advantage.”
Galindo countered: “We have to play on it, too.”