Cal Baptist women defeated in WAC tournament semis
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DIVISION 2
DAMIEN (8-2) AT
MURRIETA VALLEY (7-3), 7 P.M. IE Varsity: Murrieta Valley scored a 35-21victory over crosstown rival Vista Murrieta last week to secure an automatic playoff spot. Bear Bachmeier has thrown for 2,153 yards and 17 touchdowns and added five touchdowns on the ground. Dorian Hoze leads the ground attack for the Nighthawks with 1,123 yards and 17 touchdowns. Ethan Adams and Troy Karg lead the defense with 87 and 82 tackles, respectively. Damien dropped the final two games of the regular season, including a 51-36loss to Etiwanda last week. Isaiah Arriaza has passed for 2,453yards and 25touchdowns, while Ayden Gutierrez has hauled in 46passes for 911yards and nine touchdowns. Freshman Gavin Williams had picked off five passes for the Spartans.
Prediction: Murrieta Valley
UPLAND (8-2) AT
LOS ALAMITOS (8-2), 7P.M. IE Varsity: Upland took down previously-unbeaten Rancho Cucamonga 17-14 last week to secure a share of the Baseline League championship. Noah Sandoval has passed for 1,817 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Trent Dailey has rushed for 844 yards and 13touchdowns. Trestin Castro leads the team with seven touchdown catches and also has three interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. Los Alamitos won the Sunset League title and is riding a five-game winning streak. Former San Jacinto players Foster Slaughter and Dre Taylor are on the Griffins’ roster this season.
Prediction: Los Alamitos
DIVISION 3
LEUZINGER (6-4) AT
CITRUS VALLEY (7-3), 7 P.M. IE Varsity: Citrus Valley has won six straight games, including a 42-7 victory over Yucaipa last week that put the final touch on the program’s first Citrus Belt League championship. Dawson Martinez has thrown for 643 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for another 380 yards and seven touchdowns in only five games. Ricardo Barrios leads the defense with 126 tackles, and Michael Counce returned two kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns. Leuzinger finished second in the Ocean League. Damonte Bias leads the ground attack for the Olympians with 780 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games.
Prediction: Citrus Valley
DIVISION 5
SAN JACINTO (6-4) AT
LIBERTY (9-1), 7P.M.
IE Varsity: The Mountain Pass League’s top two finishers will meet for the second time in four weeks. Liberty held on for a 40-37victory in the first meeting and went on to claim the league championship. Anthony Ruelas and Andre Skelton combined to rush for 242 yards and three touchdown in the first game against San Jacinto. Eddie Smith is the leader of the Bison defense. San Jacinto looks to win a section title for the second straight season after capturing the Division 6crown last season. Oregonbound
Murrieta Valley and Dorian Hoze, who has rushed for 1,123 yards and 17 TDs, will host Damien in a first-round Division 2 game tonight.
receiver Dillon Gresham, one of the most exciting playmakers in the Inland area, has caught 41passes for 732 yards and 11 touchdowns and returned three kicks for touchdowns. Damere Coleman leads the defense with 80 tackles.
Prediction: San Jacinto
EISENHOWER (9-1) AT
ORANGE VISTA (7-3), 7 P.M. IE Varsity: Eisenhower knocked off Grand Terrace 48-26last week to clinch the Sunkist League championship. Daniel Ruiz has thrown for 1,692 yards and 23 touchdowns, and Dashaun Benton is among the Inland area’s leading receivers with 1,148 yards and 16 touchdown receptions. Bernardo Blanco is the team’s top rusher (606 yards) and also leads the defense with 73 tackles and nine sacks. Orange Vista rallied for a 3527win over Rancho Verde last week to secure its second straight Ivy League crown. Khalil Abdul Aziz has passed for 2,479 yards and 26 touchdowns, while Sire Gaines has racked up 933 yards from scrimmage and scored 17touchdowns for the Coyotes. Iese Magalei leads the defense with eight sacks.
Prediction:
DIVISION 7
LAKEWOOD (5-5) AT
KING (6-4), 7 P.M.
IE Varsity: This is a matchup between two teams that finished third in their respective leagues. King is looking to rebound from a 31-14loss to Murrieta Mesa last week. Joshua Harper has thrown for 1,839 yards and 18 touchdowns, and receivers
Sam Green and Blake Bowen have combined for 63 receptions for 1,066 yards and 14 touchdowns. Matheus Cunha has five interceptions on the season, including two against Murrieta Mesa. Lakewood has won three straight games, including a 42-7 victory over Compton last week. Kade Casillas has passed for 2,042yards and 18 touchdowns to lead the Lancers.
Prediction: King
DIVISION 10
RANCHO CHRISTIAN (7-3) AT HEMET (7-3), 7 P.M.
IE Varsity: The Inland Valley League’s top finishers find themselves matched up in the opening round. Hemet came away with a 23-16 victory in the first
Orange Vista meeting back in September. Daniel Mendoza leads the ground attack foe Hemet at 79 yards per game, while Tanner Fye tops the defense with
116 tackles and six sacks. Rancho Christian held off Moreno Valley 2012last week to secure a playoff berth. Freshman Blake Nadler has thrown for 1,794 yards and 20 touchdowns, while Jonathan Alexander has caught 46passes for 835yards and 11 touchdowns. Owen Matlock leads the defense with 107 tackles.
Prediction: Hemet
DIVISION 11
SAN GORGONIO (9-1) AT
RAMONA (5-5), 7 P.M.
IE Varsity: San Gorgonio has won five consecutive games, including a 27-14 victory over Fontana last week that clinched the Skyline championship. Payton Clark has thrown for 2,038 yards and 23 touchdowns, while Dillon Carolina leads the ground attack for the Spartans with 831 yards and 12 touchdowns. John Rubio tops the defense with 119 tackles. Ramona finished fourth in the River Valley League but received an at-large berth into the playoffs. Jeremiah Acosta has passed for 1,558yards and 16 touchdowns, while Sincere Tolbert has rushed for 1,044 yards and 13 touchdowns, Troy Long and Peter Mesa have registered 107and 106 tackles, respectively, for the Rams defense.
Prediction: San Gorgonio
HILLCREST (5-5) AT
LINFIELD CHRISTIAN (7-3), 7 P.M. IE Varsity: Hillcrest lost its River Valley League opener but bounced back with four straight wins to close out the regular season. Christian Alvarado has thrown for 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Alfredo Vences has rushed for 941 yards and nine scores. Mohammed Lahlisi tops the defense with 110tackles, while James Maldonado has added 101 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks. Linfield Christian also won four straight games after dropping its Mesquite League opener. Thomas Paschal has passed for 11,320yards and 13 touchdowns, while Marcus Dylke leads the defense with five interceptions. Jeremy Maloney is one of the top kickers in the Inland area this season, converting all 10 of his field-goal attempts with a long of 48 yards.
Prediction: Hillcrest
DIVISION 13
SAN BERNARDINO (6-4) AT BLOOMINGTON (8-2), 7 P.M. IE Varsity: Fans of run-heavy offenses are sure to enjoy this one. San Bernardino capped the regular season with a 39-12victory over Pacific to secure a share of the Mountain Valley League title. The Cardinals’ tripleoption offense is lead by quarterback Xavier Alvarez, fullback Henry Hernandez and wingback Alec Cooper. Bloomington looks to bounce back from a 27-14loss to San Gorgonio last week. The Bruins; double-wing offense is led by wingback Diego Fraembs, who has rushed for 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns. Andrew Padron had added 580 yards on the ground and also leads the team with seven interceptions.
RIVERSIDE >> By the time the Cal Baptist women’s soccer team got into the attack, it was too little and too late.
Sonja Lux scored from the penalty spot in the 81st minute, but it wasn’t enough as the Lancers’ season came to an end in a 2-1 loss to Seattle University on Wednesday night in the semifinal round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament at CBU Soccer Stadium.
“You play for the excitement and the glory but also the heartbreak,” CBU head coach Kristen St. Clair said. “That’s the hardest part.”
CBU (11-2-6 overall, 6-0-3 WAC) was unbeaten in its previous 14 matches and had not lost a game at home all season.
“I feel heartbroken for our seniors,” said St. Clair, the WAC coach of the year. “We had a great group with great leadership and we just came up a little bit short.”
The Lancers shut out Seattle University 1-0 during the regular season, but a corner kick in the 35th minute led to the Redhawks’ Kait Raffensperger knocking in the opening goal off a pass from Nina Prusa.
Unforced passing errors put CBU under pressure in the first half, and WAC goalkeeper of the year Noa Schumaker was forced to make two crucial saves in the first half.
“I think we could’ve been a little bit sharper in the first half, but credit Seattle for their organization and for finishing their shots,” St. Clair said.
Michelle Slater grabbed the second goal for Seattle
(10-8-2, 6-2-1), which advances to play Grand Canyon in the WAC tournament championship game at CBU Soccer Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m.
“This group is resilient — we were 0-2 to start conference play — so to be here is something to be proud of,” Seattle coach Julie Woodward said.
Turning away from a defender but more than 20 yards from goal, Slater took control of a quick throwin before whipping a leftfooted missile into the upper corner and out of the reach of Schumaker for a 2-0 lead early in the second half.
“We tried to keep the pressure up because CBU has so many good attacking players that we wanted to keep the ball in front of us and away from them,” Woodward said.
CBU attackers were more active over the final 45 minutes, but the final product was missing until Lourdes Bosch chipped a ball into the penalty area and Frida Murrieta drew a pushing foul.
Lux smashed the penalty kick into the back of the net to give the Lancers hope, but Seattle defenders averted danger before winning the ball in the final 30 seconds and playing it into the corner as time expired.
“We had a game plan, but it just wasn’t our night,” St. Clair said. “We were running at them in the second half, but the game can be cruel.”
CBU outshot Seattle 17-3 in the second half and 24-9 overall. Redhawks goalkeeper Kassidy Kirgan finished with nine saves.