The varsity boys soccer team has been successful thus far into their season, especially with their 2-1 victory against Crawford High School on Feb. 19, 2019.

  “The first half was close; it was tied 0-0. 15 to 20 minutes into the second half, the other team beat one and crossed one of our players on the side and scored a goal near post. Since we were down 1-0, we were trying to get a goal back fast. We ended up getting a penalty with seven minutes left and then Ezekeal Mata (11) scored a penalty. We were close to scoring again before the time ran out, but we didn’t so we went into an extra time period: sudden death. Seven minutes in, one of the new people that just got pulled up, Roman Lopez (10), scored,” Cody Hewitt (12) said.

  The boys are a tight-knit group of individuals who share the same determination. Unbeknownst to most, their drive stems from more than themselves; it stems from a root.

  “Earlier in the season we did community service at the garden at school. We stayed an extra 30 minutes to pull a root out; this symbolizes our determination to not give up. Zeke brought it to the game, and when we were down 1-0, we came back to win,” Hewitt said.

  The win against Crawford wasn’t merely luck. The boys diligently studied their opponents in addition to heeding their coach’s advice.

  “We studied what they are and who they were. We took some notes on what type of guys to look out for and looked at some film. Also, we played them before so we kind of knew who we were up against. The team knew it was going to be a tough game, because both teams just wanted to win,” Brian Ojeda (11) said.

  “The coaching was a huge part of the win. He saw [our opponents’] weaknesses and exploited them. Then also just the full team effort. It took a lot of heart to keep pushing even when we were down,” Carter Buhler (12) said.

  Join the team as they play against Oceanside High School on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 at 7 p.m. at Hilltop High School as they fight for the title of CIF Division II San Diego Section Champions.