The referee’s final whistle sent a team of Point Loma High boys, their coaches and a sizable contingent of fans into a frenzy March 5 as the school won its first CIF soccer championship since 1983.
And the No. 4-seeded boys did it in style, dominating No. 2 seed San Marcos 3-1 in the Div. II title match, played at Olympian High School in the South Bay, to end the 33-year drought.
This is the second CIF crown placed on the Pointers’ heads this year after boys water polo won its first banner during the fall sports season.
The win brought the Pointers’ record to 11-5-6 on the season after a 4-1-3 second-place finish in the Western League.
The Knights finished the season with a record of 17-6-2 after a 6-3-1 finish to win the Avocado East League.
Pointer goals were scored by seniors Kyle Hoh, Jase Souza and Luke Raley, who also had two assists. Junior Lukas Hanc added an assist to the scoresheet.
Goalkeeping duties were split between sophomore Marley Mascarenas and senior Trevor Eide. Each was credited with a pair of saves during their half in goal.
And for Pointer head coach Elliott Savitz, a Pointer alumnus (class of 2002), it was a time for reflection.
“As a Pointer myself, it was a special moment,” he said. “I lost in the CIF final as a player; I always wanted to get into coaching, and when I got a teaching job and started coaching here, it was really a long-term dream. I’ve always wanted to see if we could win a CIF title for the boys and the community.”
Savitz sensed last season that he had the special team that could do just that.
“Last year, we had a young team,” Savitz recalled, “with a lot of sophomores. I always felt that their technical abilities and soccer IQ were good, but they were just a little younger than some of the teams we were up against. I felt that next year they were going to be a little bigger, a little stronger and a bit more mature. When we lost to Orange Glen in the playoffs last year, we (coaches) said we couldn’t wait until this season so they could get out there and showcase their skills and intelligence.”
Savitz scheduled tough opponents for his team’s early nonleague games this season. That strategy seemed to pay off as his team proved they could play with such opponents.
“It was a privilege coaching this group of young men this year,” Savitz said. “Winning the CIF title was monumental for us and the community.”
The soccer title had added sweetness because the No. 4-seeded Pointers knocked off No. 1 seed Oceanside in a semifinal match played March 2 on the Pirates’ pitch.
The Pointers fell behind 1-0 in the first half before Raley answered with a second-half goal off a Townsend Meyer assist to send the game to a shootout. There, the Dogs prevailed 4-3 to oust their favored opponents and move to the championship round.
Goalkeepers Mascarenas (four saves) and Eide (three) again split time in the net, with Eide getting credit for the win.
The Pirates entered the match with a season record of 17-1-5 and a Valley League title under their belts, outscoring opponents by an average of 4-1.
In the quarterfinals, after a first-round bye, the Pointers sent the Bishop’s Knights into retreat in a 5-1 blowout. Raley scored twice, while Hoh, junior Adrian Marmol and sophomore Tim Mooring each had a goal. Hanc picked up a pair of assists, with juniors Townsend Meyer and Kian Meyer each adding one.
Mascarenas and Eide again split goaltending duties, each making three saves.
In a first-round state CIF playoff game, the Pointers gave up a first half goal that resulted in a 1-0 loss to Pasadena High School March 8.
And how is 2017 shaping up?
“We will have an excellent group coming back,” Savitz noted. “Our entire back line, one of our goalkeepers and two of our three center midfielders are coming back. We’ll have a senior-driven team next year.”