When the Santa Barbara High boys’ soccer team needs a goal this season it is often Jesus Miranda who delivers.
The Dons were in position to clinch the fourth and final automatic berth into the CIF Southern Section playoffs with victory over rival Dos Pueblos and Miranda fulfilled his role with a first-half goal that Santa Barbara turned into a 1-0 victory.
“The guys knew that today was basically a first-round playoff game. It was win or go home,” said Santa Barbara High coach Ricardo Alcaraz. “We had no choice, but to win and the boys stepped up. They played like it was a playoff game.”
Last season was a rebuilding year for Santa Barbara as the program suffered its first losing season in at least 20 years. The players and coaches were eager to turn things around and did so in Channel League play this season compiling an 8-4-2 record.
“It all comes down to the summer training. These guys have been preparing for this moment since June, doing the summer workout, the weight room and the little things,” Alcaraz said. “These guys have been together since their freshman year so they already had that bond. Last year was a new experience for them and they used that experience to turn it around.”
In the 34th minute, Josue Ventura lofted a ball into the box from 30 yards out and Miranda timed his run perfectly. The finish was a thing of beauty as Miranda skyed through the air and got the top of his head to the ball facing away from goal. The Dos Pueblos goalkeeper had no chance as the ball found the back of the net.
“As soon as the ball was traveling to {Josue} I knew he was going to put it in the box so I started traveling. I knew I was going to get it,” Miranda said. “{Josue} is an amazing center mid, he leaves everything on the field and shares the ball really well.”
Dos Pueblos had a golden opportunity at an equalizer in first half stoppage time with a rebound near goal, but it was cut out by the Santa Barbara back line at the last moment.
The second half was very physical as yellow cards were issued to one player from each team in the 54th minute. In the 68th minute, A Dos Pueblos foul in the box gave Santa Barbara a penalty kick. Miranda took the penalty but missed the goal high.
A free kick by Tiago Rodriguez of Dos Pueblos from prime position also missed the frame in the 70th minute.
“We knew heading into this week that really all we could play for is pride and to be there for each other considering we were knocked out of the playoffs,” said Dos Pueblos coach Matt York. “I’m just really proud, we had a couple seniors that we wanted to finish it for them and we had a bunch of young guys that we wanted to show the right way of doing things.”
The Chargers were led by Luka Jevremovic who beat the goalkeeper and narrowly missed inches wide of the frame in the first half. Sophomore captain Andrew Gomez was also solid in the back for Dos Pueblos.
San Marcos, 2; Oxnard, 2
The Royals were in a similar boat to Santa Barbara needing a win to clinch an automatic playoff berth, but had to settle for a tie with visiting Oxnard, which put them on the outside looking in.
The Royals will now wait on a potential at-large bid to qualify for the CIF playoffs. The Royals twice came back from behind with goals by Jose Ramirez and Kevin Sanchez.
Oxnard was solid in the first half and we struggled to play our game. In the second half, we kept possession of the ball and created more chances,” said San Marcos coach Paul McLean. “Ryder Hazard, Javi Elias and Kevin Sanchez worked really hard to win possession and create an opportunity.”