Sailors earning respect

Patrick Laverty

As the No. 1 entry out of the Sea View League, the Newport Harbor

High boys soccer team went into its first-round CIF Southern Section

Division II playoff game as a favorite against visiting El Dorado.

But that wasn’t the attitude the Sailors took into the game.

“We’ve always kind of been the underdog,” Newport Harbor senior

Matt Tracy said. “Even when we were in first place in league, teams

didn’t take us seriously.”

After Friday’s performance, any team that fails to take the

Sailors seriously is simply foolish.

Tracy scored a goal late in the first half and Joel Walker added

two second-half goals as Newport Harbor dominated the Golden Hawks,

winning, 3-0, to advance to the second round.

Newport Harbor will face Valley View, a 2-1 winner over Temecula

Valley on Friday, on the road Tuesday in the second round.

The Sailors (15-6) created numerous chances throughout the first

half, particularly when playing the ball over the top of the El

Dorado defense and letting the speedy Walker chase it down. But

Newport Harbor simply couldn’t come up with the go-ahead goal.

That changed when Will Guzman took a pass from Walker and streaked

down the right sideline. Tracy, who was also sprinting down the left

side of the field, sensed the lack of presence in the penalty box and

changed direction, heading toward the goal and providing an outlet

for Guzman’s cross. The move worked to perfection and Tracy slotted

the ball inside the left post in the final minute of the first half

for a 1-0 lead.

“That was all Will Guzman, he did all the hard work,” Tracy said.

“I just cut in because I knew he was going to play it there. We’ve

been playing together for so long, I know where he’s going with it.”

The goal relieved any pressure from the Sailors and the chances

they got in the first half, were converted over the final 40 minutes.

“It was really big,” Tracy said. “I think it gave us the momentum

to get two more goals in the second half and put them away.”

Walker provided the first of those two second-half goals less than

two minutes after halftime. Originally sent behind the defense on a

through ball by Skyler Taugher, Walker’s initial shot was stopped by

the El Dorado goalkeeper. But the ball was collected again by the

Sailors, delivered to Walker in the box and he sent a shot that

ricocheted off the goalie, the crossbar and then into the net.

“I didn’t really hit it that well,” Walker said. “It just took a

really weird bounce and went off the keeper.”

Harbor’s final goal was perfectly struck on two ends. Guzman

delivered a free kick in the 70th minute from beyond midfield that

cleared the El Dorado defense and found Walker behind the defense

with only the goalie to beat. The speedy senior forward rocketed the

ball into the back of the net, giving the Sailors a 3-0 and

eliminating any remaining suspense.

“Will Guzman, Skyler, Matt and Joel, they just stepped up so

much,” Newport Harbor Coach Ryan Hernandez said.

Guzman and Taugher controlled the midfield and Newport Harbor

goalie Taylor Carver was rarely pressured. When El Dorado did make a

push, Chase Kelly, David Manchester and Warren Junowich were there to

clear the ball out of the Sailors’ end.

Taugher, in particular, stood out for Hernandez.

“He’s been doing that for over a month now and no one can stop

him,” Hernandez said.