Four Inland soccer teams seek titles today
It was a record-breaking season for Roosevelt’s girls soccer team but the Mustangs are playing it cool ahead of the biggest match in program history.
Roosevelt set a new school mark for goals (78) and now takes on Palos Verdes in the Cif-southern Section Division 1 championship game today at 6 p.m. at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.
“The girls have been awesome,” Roosevelt head coach Andrew Tillehkooh said. “They haven’t shown that they’re thinking too much about the game. For them, it’s just any other game.”
Roosevelt (24-2-1 overall) is led up front by sophomore Ireland Churchill, already the school’s all-time goals leader (54), and Tillehkooh and his coaches did some advanced scouting this week to adjust their game plan for her.
“We were able to watch Palos Verdes’ semifinal game,” Tillehkooh said. “The coaches watched it and we watched it as a team. They’re a good team all around, but
EASTVALE >> we saw some things and we’re going to try to exploit areas we think we can.”
Tillehkooh wants his team to lean into what has helped them get here.
“We just tell the girls, ‘You want to set the tone so if you can get into a clean tackle, then go for it.’ That usually helps settle the nerves,” Tillehkooh said. “We’ve been in the weight room and training since September. All the hard work I think it’s going to show in this final game.”
Etiwanda’s boys team is making its second title appearance in head coach D.J. Vigil’s first season.
“When I came in and saw the potential for the group my No. 1 job is, and I told them, ‘To put you in the best positions possible and it’s up to you if you want to make that jump,’” Vigil said. “I think we had a very good understanding from the coaches about what the expectations were, and I think for those guys they just really rose to the occasion.”
The Eagles (18-4-4) put their 14-match unbeaten streak on the line against Lakewood in the Division 4 final on today at 3:30 p.m. at Veterans Stadium.
“These guys want to leave their mark, leave their legacy, and I think they’re dialed in,” Vigil said. “We are prepared. The guys are ready to go and they’re very motivated.”
Upland’s boys team is making its first appearance in a final since 1994, and head coach Mike Diaz has seen the Highlanders girls side win a few championships in the meantime.
“I think it’s historic. It’s been many years since the boys have been this far,” said Diaz, a long-time assistant for both boys and girls programs at Upland before taking over as the boys head coach in 2016. “We’ve had a difficult last couple of seasons, but knowing that we were planning for the future, we took our lumps and the experience has paid off with boys who love to fight through adversity and reaching the finals is quite an honor.”
Despite ending the regular season with a 6-0 loss at Rancho Cucamonga, the Highlanders (14-4-4) have won four consecutive matches and take on Esperanza in the Division 5 title game on today at 3:30 p.m. at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange.
“I think we started to peak at the right time of the season,” Diaz said. “The boys are getting more and more confidence the further we go.”
Diamond Ranch’s girls will be making their first appearance in a section final when they play Bell Gardens in the Division 6 title game on today at 1 p.m. at Veterans Stadium.
The Panthers (19-4-0) defeated Colton 2-1 in the semifinals and have won 11 of their past 12 games.