Just for a split second, it almost looked as though Alvarez was about to pull off a comeback for the ages in last week’s inaugural California Interscholastic Federation State boys soccer championship.
A penalty kick goal by Luis Macias gave the Northern Regional champion Eagles some life late in the second half.
But it wasn’t enough as they fell to Southern Regional champion Mater Dei, 2-1, in the Division I finals at Natomas High School in Sacramento on March 14.
“We got a lot to be proud of, honestly,” said Alvarez head coach Gabriel Campos. “It’s a tough way to end the season. It’s rough to finish a season with a win, that rarely happens. It’s a lot of hard emotions.”
Campos added, “They were excited about everything that took place tonight. And to come up short is obviously disheartening for us. But people will look back at this and feel proud a couple of weeks from now.”
Alvarez got into an early quagmire after conceding a pair of goals to the nation’s top team less than 20 minutes into the first half.
Santiago Schelotto, a senior, put the Monarchs on the board first, while teammate senior Devin Madero followed up with his goal in the 17th minute. Senior James Obleda was credited with one assist.
“It’s an amazing feeling like no other, first-ever state final like this,” Madero said. “As soon as I saw [the ball] go in, it was ecstatic. The crowd, my teammates. And we just kept the energy high.”
Campos said the Monarchs were aiming to slow the game down and get opportunities in dead ball situations.
“We allowed them to do that,” Campos said. “It took us a while to find the adjustment. It came late, but we worked hard for it.”
After the two quick goals, Alvarez did an excellent job of preventing Mater Dei from extending its lead. Campos said they found situations where they caught themselves back in the contest.
The Eagles began to steal momentum on the offensive side as the match went on, especially during the second half. They found a rhythm that wasn’t there in the first 20 minutes of play.
“We knew that they had a strong offense and a way to pressure them was through their outside backs. That’s where we exploited,” Madero said. “And our set pieces, we trained hard on that, so we’re glad it went to use.”
Macias’ penalty kick cut the deficit in half with five minutes remaining. The Eagles picked up the pace, playing with a sense of urgency and creating scoring chances.
However, it was too little, too late for them. Macias and several of his teammates hit the ground as the referee blew the final whistle, signaling the end of another remarkable season.
“It was a deep hole that we were in,” Campos said. “And the fact that we were able to dig ourselves out and still have an opportunity to come back in the match, I think speaks volumes of how the boys can hold their character together and still find an opportunity to find themselves in the game.”
Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division champion Alvarez finished the regular season with an unblemished record of 20-0.
They earned the top seed going into the Central Coast Section D-I playoffs. But they were stunned by No. 7 Mountain View in a shocking 2-1 loss in overtime in the finals.
The Eagles rebounded in the CIF NorCal playoffs. They won their second consecutive D-I championship following a 3-2 win over Davis Senior in the Northern Regional final on March 7.
