Orange Lutheran takes its seat at the big table

The Orange Lutheran boys soccer team has arrived. The Lancers are the little brother no more in the well-respected, celebrated and revered Trinity League.   As the smallest school in the league, Orange Lutheran couldn't simply rely on that argument as to why it wasn't successful. It was time to claim its spot.   And the Lancers did. They maneuvered through a 32-team bracket to win the CIF Southern Section Division IV title, the school's first outright title in its history. And by doing so, announced their arrival.   "We were looking to book a place at the table with the big dogs, with the big time programs," Orange Lutheran coach Mike Oseguera said. "And to do that we needed to win the games we were supposed to win."   Not that they were supposed to win the DIV crown, especially as the only at-large team to make it, but they didn't just make a deep run in the playoffs. They won the whole thing. This comes on the heels of five wins and a fourth place finish in a league with teams like JSerra Catholic, Servite and Mater Dei.   "It legitimizes us as a serious program and a good destination for kids to want to come play and study at a high level," Oseguera said. "Now it's about continuing to play at a high level and to continue to progress towards our goals and now we are in the mix to do exactly that."   In order to continue to grow, to be taken seriously, to climb up the divisional ladder, it's going to take consistency. The Lancers will need to differentiate themselves by winning, by showing they don't belong in a lower division and show that they should be taken very seriously.   "We came in with a chip on our shoulder and we made some noise," Oseguera said. "We have always referenced ourselves by our league and have always been on the outside looking in. We figured that if we are going to be in Division IV, then we need to win it."   Orange Lutheran ran the gauntlet, winning five matches to claim the DIV Southern Section crown, and are now one match away from reaching the Southern California State final after beating La Jolla Country Day in the quarterfinals. The Lancers will face Palm Desert at home on Thursday.   And if they are going to win a State title, then four players who have been playing incredibly will need to continue to do so.   Xavier Alcantar, Junior, Midfielder   Alcantar has worked so well in conjunction with Hector Arellanas, who is mentioned below. He has been very creative, he has found pockets of space and exploited defenses. He and Arellanas have switched roles, changed shapes and played off each other's strengths to make life hard on opponents.   Hector Arellanas, Junior, Midfielder/Forward   Arellanas has been incredibly dynamic and versatile player in both playoff runs. He has played as a No. 9, he has slipped back into a No. 10 role and has been everything the Lancers needed and has been everywhere, scoring key goals including the game-winner in overtime in the first round of the Section playoffs against Woodbridge.   Jayden Jimenez, Senior, Forward   Jimenez has scored in four of the six playoff games so far, banging in multiple goals sometimes. He has played wide and has been attacking the goal. He has been active, making defenses work, and he has been creating space to get service.   Jordi Pineda, Senior, Holding Midfielder   Nobody has wanted it more for Orange Lutheran than Pineda. Case in point is the fact that he scored the team's only goal in getting past Oxnard in the Section semifinals, then scored two goals in the 3-0 win over Littlerock in the title match. And this is coming from the team's No. 6 who is usually winning balls, switching play and getting balls forward.

The Orange Lutheran boys soccer team has arrived. The Lancers are the little brother no more in the well-respected, celebrated and revered Trinity League.