CA Boys State Finals previews
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The long high winter soccer season in California has reached its natural conclusion, with the regional state finals taking place on Saturday. The best teams in Northern California will play for NorCal titles, and the best in Southern California will…
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Continue ReadingThe long high winter soccer season in California has reached its natural conclusion, with the regional state finals taking place on Saturday. The best teams in Northern California will play for NorCal titles, and the best in Southern California will play for the SoCal titles. Games from all five divisions will be held on Saturday, as here is a look at the boys games for both ends of the state.
SOCAL
Division I – No. 1 Mater Dei v. No. 3 St. Augustine
The top-seeded Monarchs navigated their semifinal game against Del Norte well, winning 3-0. The No. 1 team in the state, and one of the best in the country, is 21-2-1 on the season, with the only losses coming in one of the two legs in the Open Division quarterfinals and semifinals.
What got Mater Dei to this point? To the point of being the top team in California and an unquestioned top three team in the country?
“Culture, intensity and leadership. Our guys are so close with each other, are so committed and accountable to each other it has honestly been awesome to coach,” Mater Dei coach Sean Ganey said. “On the field, we really try to be intense with all of our actions. Whether that was in training or in games and trying to hold that standard over a course of a season.
“And our leadership has been fantastic,” Ganey added. “Specifically, our seniors. They have kept everyone accountable, have been extremely disciplined and everyone has followed their lead.”
Mater Dei has been led by Michael Cherico, who has played all over the pitch. He excels anywhere you put him. Ayden Romo Ayden Romo 5'7" | M Mater Dei | 2026 State CA has been stellar as a sophomore and has proven to be a player who loves the big moments. Brayden McLelland has made big saves all season, including three PK stops against Montclair in the Open Division quarterfinals. Avian Gonzalez Flores has been spectacular in dealing with teams that feature some of the best attackers in the country, and Jake Barak is a player who refuses to lose, showing what grit and guts are, playing on an injured ankle.
For the Saints, they had to get through an Arlington team that entered the Southern Section Open title game with a perfect record. They were able to keep the Lions off the scoreboard, playing excellent team defense.
St. Augustine reached 20 wins and has not loss since December to Orange Lutheran in the SoCal College Showcase. That is a run of 16 unbeaten games, 15 of them wins.
Division II – No. 1 Servite v. No. 3 Orange Lutheran
Talk about familiarity. These teams will play for the fourth time this season, splitting the Trinity League matchups. The Friars won the Southern Section Division I title game over the Lancers.
The Friars scored late on to beat Torrey Pines in the semifinals to get to another regional state title game, the other coming in 2022. Mattias Kremer Mattias Kremer M Servite | 2025 CA scored the goal and Nick Nodarse was the man of the match, with consistent defending and leading the back line to a clean sheet.
“What got us through was pure grit,” Servite coach Eddie Soto said. “It wasn’t our best match, but we stayed composed and kept fighting to the end.”
For Lutheran, the well-documented turnaround from recent year’s past to win the Division IV final last year, to reaching the DI final this year, and now the DII SoCal final.
“I feel like we are at this point because we believe,” Orange Lutheran coach Mike Oseguera said. “We believe in our school, in our program and in ourselves. We have so much support from so many people, we always believe there is a way to survive and advance.”
The Lancers topped a very talented Crossroads team 1-0 on Thursday, as it was a total team effort as it usually is for OLu, but sophomore keeper Christian Garcia has been excellent in the state playoffs. He kept a clean sheet last night and helped the team to beating its sixth league champ in this postseason.
Division III – No. 4 Foothill-Bakersfield v. No. 6 Porterville
The Foothill Trojans won their 21st match of the season by upsetting top-seeded Newport Harbor in the semifinals, and are lead by two very good goal scorers in Josue Chavez and Jovanny Salazar. Salazar, the senior, leads the team with 12 assists. Both have 17 goals as Chavez, a sophomore, has 11 assists.
“We have been building up to this moment since I got to Foothill,” Foothill coach Tyrel Rose said. “This is our third trip to the state playoffs and each time we have got closer to where we are today.
“We have had some very talented and dedicated student athletes come through our program and everyone who joins has left the program in a better place than where it was when they arrived. This is not the result of a single coach or a single player, but the result of the culture we have created and the legacy of those that came before. Our motto this season is ‘Earned not Given’ and the boys have worked really hard to get to this point.”
The 1-0 win over Newport Harbor was a landmark victory for a program looking to leave its indelible mark.
“Thursday was a total team victory,” Rose said. “One player standing out would have not gotten the result. Our team defense, physical play, poise under pressure, and fitness got us the result.”
The Panthers are a great story as Porterville is an agricultural town north of Bakersfield, with about 60,000 residents. The team has an incredible 27 wins this season, and beat two very good Southern Section teams to get here, Animo Leadership and Foothill-Santa Ana.
Division IV – No. 1 Oceanside v. No. 3 Lakewood
Oceanside suffered just one loss this season, to a top team and a big school in San Diego, San Pasqual. The Pirates won the DII title in the San Diego Section, and have Esperanza and Monte Vista-Spring Valley to get here.
Team defense has been the key for Oceanside, which has not been scored on since January 25th, and have multiple players contributing to his effort. Particularly keeper Jesse Carlos stepped up Thursday and center back Hugo Barranco had his best performance in the quarterfinal.
Lakewood is on a good run after reaching the Southern Section DIV title game and now the regional final after what was just an 11-win regular season.
Division V – No. 2 Maranatha v. No. 8 Castle Park
Second-seeded Maranatha did its job, reaching the final as the highest seed from their side of the bracket, but the story here is No. 8 Castle Park. The Trojans had to go on the road to beat top-seeded Contreras, then get back on the road to beat Covina to reach the final, traveling back and forth from Chula Vista to the Los Angeles area twice.
“I feel there are a few reasons we have been able to reach this state final,” Castle Park coach Victor Vargas said. “First, I think the ability for our team to stay together and work for each other has been a huge factor. We had a lot of struggles that we’ve had to overcome.”
The Trojans had to overcome the travel aspect as well as injuries and exhaustion from players playing big minutes. Vargas and his staff have made savvy adjustments and changes to put players in a position to succeed and help with the technical, tactical and psychological aspects of the game.
“When games get emotional and pressure is high like it was last night, what has gotten us through those difficult moments was having a mental toughness that our boys possess. It’s having grit and being able to finish off difficult games.”
Oscar Cruz was a standout for the Trojans on Thursday night, as he is a great presence in the midfield. He is a ball-winner, controls the midfield with intricate passing and the ability to beat players when needed. He is not a huge goal scorer, but his presence allows Castle Park to play at their highest level.
NORCAL
Division I – No. 2 Archbishop Mitty v. No. 5 St. Francis-Mountain View
West Catholic Athletic League foes meet again, as the two battled for the league title, the Central Coast Division I title, and now play for the regional state title.
No. 2 Mitty got past an excellent Clovis North team in penalties after a 1-1 game through two overtimes, while St. Francis topped Monte Vista-Danville, the No. 8 seed, 3-2. The Mustangs are not your typical No. 8 seed, as the East Bay Athletic League is one of the toughest in the state and they beat top-seeded Jesuit 3-0 in the first round. St. Francis got past North Coast Section champs Berkeley in penalties in the first round.
Keeper Alan Quintero stepped up when it mattered for Mitty, saving the Broncos fifth penalty take on Thursday to close out the 5-4 PK’s win.
For the Lancers, the message was loud and clear at halftime after Monte Vista took a 1-0 advantage into the locker room in a back and forth game.
“I just wanted to make sure they didn’t have any regrets,” St. Francis coach Rusty Milligan said. “No matter what, I would still love them, but I wanted to encourage them to come out and play, give it their all and have no regrets.”
And play, the Lancers did. They scored three second half goals, twice taking the lead, the first time on a PK, and the match-winner coming in the final minutes as leading scorer David Hernandez David Hernandez F CA Escobar scored off a set piece from 25 yards out.
Lukas Ramans Lukas Ramans 6'1" | M Saint Francis | 2026 State CA was an absolute difference maker for St. Francis. He was phenomenal in the second half, giving St. Francis the advantage on the right side, being dangerous on the ball and working hard to get back in transition.
Division II – No. 1 Dougherty Valley v. No. 2 Burlingame
Everything from the section title game appearance in the North Coast Section to this run to the regional state final is a first for the young Dougherty Valley program. The Wildcats have come a long way in a short time as the school opened in 2007.
They beat two tough Sac Joaquin Section teams to get to this point, beating Valley-Sacramento 3-2 and Del Oro 2-1.
“We feel like we got here through staying hungry,” Dougherty Valley coach Bijan Sadeghy said. “And by wanting to succeed after falling short in the EBAL championship and NCS final.”
Matas Drevinskas was a standout for the Wildcats on Thursday night, coming back from missing most of the season, the senior captain has returned this postseason to make his impact on this team and last night’s game.
Burlingame beat two good NCS teams to get here, topping Maria Carrillo in the first round and Las Lomas in the second. They got here through teamwork, hunger, desire and competitiveness, according to head coach Anthony Dimech.
Hank Lane, a central defender who has a good feel for the game and positions himself well and is a solid defender, has been a key, as has Altai Ordubadi, central midfielder, who shows great skills, excellent vision and a great feel for the game, is a player who can score and set teammates up.
Division III – No. 1 Newark Memorial v. No. 6 Cardinal Newman
The Cougars had their undefeated season interrupted in the NCS DII semifinals, but because they are an excellent team, still earned a top seed in the state playoffs, being invited into DIII. The Cougars have 23 wins and two draws to go against that one loss and have an excellent player in Noel Cabrales who scored an astounding 37 goals.
In Thursday’s 4-1 win over Pleasant Valley-Chico, Eriberto Bermudez was a key player as he made big saves to keep the Cougars in the game all night. Bermudez has been a key all season long, to go with a very staunch defense. Senior midfielders Sean Rante, Jose Gomez and Nate Medrano have been dynamic difference makers.
The Cardinals have 24 wins, won the NCS DIV final and have a very deep and balanced team.
Division IV – No. 2 King City v. No. 5 Archie Williams
The second-seeded Mustangs with the Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division, and scored nine goals in beating Torres and Justin Garza to make the finals.
The Falcons come from the very tough Marin County Athletic League, which is how they earned a No. 5 seed in this tournament despite finishing as a runner up in the NCS DIII final. A win over Galt in which they scored seven goals, got them to the semifinal, where they upset top-seeded University-San Francisco.
Division V – No. 1 Stevenson v. No. 2 Washington-San Francisco
The top-seeded Stevenson Pirates, the Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division champs, beat Esparto and Summerville to reach the finals, while No. 2 Washington, the champs of the San Francisco City Section, beat Winters and and Oakland Section champ Skyline.