One of the more anticipated soccer matches through the first week of Central California Athletic League action took place at Pitman High School on Thursday night when the Pride and the Knights of Downey High battled to a 1-1 draw.
The Pride seemed on their way to a 1-0 win as the final seconds of stoppage time ticked down, but were stunned when Downey’s Cesar Rodriguez rebounded a blocked shot by Pitman goalkeeper Isaac Padilla and delivered it into the back of the empty net.
“Isaac made a very good save. He parried it to where he probably should have gone, but our players just have to react better. They have to react to the save,” said head coach Manny Romero. “He's been a very pivotal player for us. He plays higher up the field, controlling the game, because he can. He's a very good keeper that everyone should keep their eye on because I think he could go at the next level. He's a complete, all-around, very good soccer player, and it benefits us that he's with us.”
The block was the senior’s sixth save of the night, most having come in a scoreless first half. Prior to the final sequence, one of the only legitimate scoring threats the Knights had was in the 12th minute, when Padilla and Downey’s Damian Cortez collided inside the goal box. The Downey sideline pleaded for a penalty call, but the referees ordered the boys to play on.
The Pride, who had seven shots on goal compared to the Knights’ four, controlled possession for large parts of the second half and finally cashed in during the 60th minute when sophomore Sergio Moran blasted a shot from nearly midfield that deflected off the hands of hurdling goalie Javier Diaz and in for the score.
Romero and Downey skipper Victor Ochoa embraced after the game and showered each other with compliments. Coming into the week, the Pride and Knights were considered to be two of the favorites to win the CCAL crown. The loss dropped Pitman to 1-1-1 in league play and Downey up to 2-0-1. They have matching 9-2-2 overall records.
“They're well coached and they're very well organized in the way they defend,” Romero said of Ochoa’s team. “I had my eyes on them, watching film, so I knew what they had… You know, a good, physical team is going to punish you for mistakes, and that benefited them a lot in that set piece to tie the game.”
The Pride have a prime opportunity to get back in the win column Tuesday when they travel to play 1-10-3 Modesto. The Knights build their lead in the standings by traveling to play Enochs the same day. The Eagles are 10-3-1 overall, but 0-2-1 in league play.
Sandwiched between the Pride and Knights in the CCAL standings are Turlock (7-5-2) and Gregori 8-3-2, who have matching 2-1 records against conference opponents. The Bulldogs pulled out a 1-0 win Thursday at Joe Debely Stadium, backed by a goal from senior Sebastian Carbajal. They’ll face off with the Pride at Pitman High on the night of Jan. 23.
Pitman, Denair winners in local girls action
Pitman and Denair’s girls soccer programs kept up their winning ways this week.
Denair improved to 5-0 in the Southern League with a 6-1 win over Mariposa County on Tuesday. They are 9-5-1 overall and hold a half-game lead over Gustine, who is 5-0-1 in conference play. The Coyotes and Reds will face off Tuesday at 3:30 from Jack W. Lytton Stadium in the first game of a doubleheader alongside the boys teams. Similarly, the Reds lead the boys standings with a 5-0 league record, while Denair is 4-0-1.
In the CCAL, the Pride earned a 5-2 over Downey to nab their first conference victory. They had played to a scoreless draw against Enochs in their league opener on Jan. 9 and suffered a 4-0 loss to Gregori on Tuesday. They are 7-2-1 overall.
As for Turlock, after winning their first two CCAL games of the year — 8-3 over Modesto on Jan. 9 and 4-1 against Downey on Tuesday — they were handed a 2-0 loss to Enochs. The Bulldogs are now 8-3-2 overall while the Eagles improved to 12-2-1.
Current six-team standings have the Bulldogs in third place and the Pride in fourth. Enochs is second at 2-0-1, while reigning champion Gregori is a perfect 3-0. All CCAL teams are back in action Tuesday, with Turlock hosting Gregori and Pitman hosting Modesto, both at 6 p.m. The crosstown rivals will then meet Thursday at Joe Debely Stadium at 6 p.m.
Over in the Trans-Valley League, Hilmar dropped their first league match to reigning co-champion Ripon by a 3-0 score. The Indians remain undefeated at 6-0 in conference competition while the Yellowjackets remain in second at 4-1-1. The Lady ‘Jackets are looking to bounce back Wednesday when they travel to take on Ripon Christian.
