After falling in a shutout on the road in the regular season finale, Escalon’s varsity soccer boys captured a thrilling first round playoff win at home, defeating Calaveras by a 2-1 final.
Their last regular season game was at Ripon on Feb 9.
“We lost 4-0; it was 1-0 at halftime,” said head coach Paul Silva. “We actually played fairly well throughout the game but just couldn’t get any quality goal scoring chances.”
Ripon scored its first goal on a penalty and their second came on a free kick, adding a couple more tallies before the final whistle.
Saturday, Feb. 14 on the home field, Escalon outlasted the visiting Red Hawks, earning the win in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 5 playoffs.
“Saturday’s game was played at a higher level of intensity and the quality of play was outstanding,” Silva said.
The 3 p.m. start featured a mix of clouds and sun but also blustery winds, with the big crowd – on both sides of the field – settling in with heavy jackets and hats.
“The boys moved the ball around really well and it led to our opening goal from sophomore Marcus Gonzalez,” Silva said. “It was a great shot into the top corner of the net.”
Gonzalez was one of five players moved up from the JV team for the playoffs.
“Calaveras scored early in the second half to level the score and with that, gained momentum in the game,” Silva added.
The hard-hitting contest saw plenty of hip checks, pushing and shoving along the sidelines, even a Calaveras player going up and over the top of an Escalon opponent, but just one yellow card was issued in the contest, going to a Red Hawk.
“The boys battled back and it culminated with a tremendous goal from Lizandro Torres to win the game,” Silva said.
The first goal for Escalon, by Gonzales, came with about 18 minutes to play in the first half.
“It feels amazing to come out here and actually contribute to the game, and a win,” said Gonzalez, who added that he did get in a couple practices with the varsity before the playoff game and felt he worked well with them in the contest. “We were connecting with very good passes, moving, communication, all that, just good overall team play.”
Calaveras evened the score about five minutes in to the second half. It was on a defensive miscue, as the Cougar player lost control of the ball, quickly picked up by the Calaveras player and dribbled in deep, sending off the point-blank shot against Cougar keeper Kevin Silva, who virtually had no chance to stop it.
The game-winning goal from Torres, a senior, came with about 16 minutes to play and the Cougars tightened things down after that, not allowing the equalizer.
“Honestly, I was just hoping for it to go in,” Torres said of the shot he sent past the Red Hawks keeper for the go-ahead goal. “We really needed that and it landed, I’m really grateful for that.”
Torres said it was also important for the Cougars to match the physical level of play they saw from Calaveras.
“You have to respond … you have to go in hard,” he said. “You can’t get punked out there so we responded to what they came out with, that’s how we competed today.”
For keeper Kevin Silva, a junior, he made several big stops for his team, including on a number of scrambles in front of the net on corner kicks and set pieces by Calaveras.
“I kept it simple, just have to do the simple things consistently, come out for the long corners and just punch them away,” Silva said of how he approached the game, adding that it was a big win for the Cougars and provided a bit of a confidence boost as well. “Consistency is the thing that matters the most.”
Coach Silva said it was a bit unexpected for the Cougars to get to host a game, as their overall record was not as good as Calaveras, but a preseason win by Escalon tipped the scales in their favor. They were able to capitalize on the home field advantage.
“It meant a lot that we had so many fans out here to watch us and the kids fed off it, they played so well … the energy level was great,” Silva said.
He added that it has been several years since Escalon has gotten a playoff win and notching this one against Calaveras was a satisfying victory.
“We played them in preseason, hosted them and it was a comfortable win,” the coach said. “As the season progressed, we had some setbacks; as their season went along, they got stronger, so I knew it was going to be a different game.”
He said once Calaveras tied the score early in the second half, it was crucial for his team to “endure and stay composed” while working to get that go ahead goal.
Keepers for both teams made some outstanding saves and Silva said that with five Cougars up from the JV level, they all did a good job against the bigger, and arguably more physical, Calaveras squad.
“So proud of the boys for the effort they put forth,” Silva noted. “They were rewarded with a great win. The kids put in so much work and they deserved this moment.”
With the win over number nine Calaveras, the number eight seed Cougars were scheduled to play at number one Lodi in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 17 after The Times went to press. Winner there moves on to the semifinal round on Feb. 19, taking on the winner of the number 4 Hilmar-number 12 Sonora game, with the finals scheduled for Saturday, Feb 21.
JV BOYS
Capping off their season with a win over Ripon, the Escalon JV boys soccer team emerged as Trans-Valley League champions. Their last three games included a 6-0 win at Hughson and a home win over Ripon Christian, 7-1, that included four goals from Anthony Torres. They were on the road for the season finale on Feb. 9, winning a 1-0 nailbiter at Ripon.
“The goal was from Marcus Gonzalez and the assist from Anthony Torres, giving us the TVL championship title,” said JV head coach Polo Rodriguez. “The boys had an amazing season, staying undefeated at home, 9-0.”
They posted an 11-1 record in TVL play, and went 17-2 overall. Five JV players moved up to the varsity roster for the playoffs.
“The boys played a phenomenal season, I couldn’t have asked for more,” Rodriguez explained. “They really came together as games went on, building chemistry and team building together. Very proud of all of them.”
GIRLS SOCCER
For the varsity team, they closed out their season with one of their hardest fought contests.
Assistant coach Jim Ball said the girls fell by a 2-0 decision to Trans-Valley League champion Ripon on Feb. 9.
“Honestly, one of the best games our girls played,” Ball said. “We gave up one goal in the first half and one in the second half. Our girls played hard from start to finish.”
Ball said the effort on defense was stellar, holding the Ripon team to just two goals. Again, though, it was tough for Escalon to get anything going offensively.
“The highlight for Jeremy (head coach Jeremy Titsworth) and I was being able to finish the season with all 10 seniors on the field,” Ball said. “We were led by Reagan Baker, a four-year varsity starter and two-year captain. She has been the leader of this team and she is going to be hard to replace.”
Also earning kudos for her work on the field was junior Payton Abbott, in her first season as netminder for the Lady Cougars.
“The defense played great, Payton had another great game and she proved herself to be one of the best keepers in the league,” Ball said.
Escalon’s JV girls took a 3-0 loss on the pitch during the game on Feb. 9, but they have put together a successful season overall.
“I want to give a big shout out to our goalkeeper, Lanie Harris, she had an incredible game with so many important saves that kept Ripon from scoring even more,” said head JV coach Lindsay Plascencia. “It was truly a great season and I couldn’t be more proud of our girls. They worked hard, grew as a team, and showed heart all year long.”
