California’s top-ranked high school soccer team gets scare before picking up TRAC win
Getting tagged as California’s top high school boys soccer squad – and No. 1 in the nation, according to one poll – has put a target on undefeated Clovis North.
Wednesday in a TRAC match played at a neutral and soggy Clovis Community College field, the Broncos took all they could handle from Clovis High before rebounding in the final 30 minutes of play for a 2-1 victory.
Clovis North improves to 14-0-1 (3-0 in TRAC) while Clovis High, ranked fourth in the Central Section, drops to 12-5-1 (2-1 in TRAC).
The victory wasn’t decided until Clovis High misfired on two penalty kicks in the waning minutes of the match (the second kick was awarded when a Clovis North player strayed prematurely into the penalty area).
Clovis North senior goalkeeper Lucas Tabangcura swallowed up a penalty kick with seconds left in the match, only to face another penalty kick that sailed high over the right crossbar. Kicked Kobe Iracheta slipped on the wet turf as he planted his foot for the kick, resulting in the misfire.
Clovis North coach Cameron Shahrokhi was not surprised at Tabangcura’s first save, nor by the fight put up by the Broncos’ league rival.
“That’s Lucas’ fifth penalty save this season alone,” said Shahrokhi. “Lucas is one of the best goalies in the section, one of the best in the state, one of the best our program has ever had.
“He saves us every day at the end of practice.”
Clovis North dominated the opening half with measured ball control but couldn’t generate a goal. That goalless start left a crack open for a Clovis High victory when sophomore Caleb Farmen took a pass along the left flank of the field and blasted a goal from about 20 yards out in the 22nd minute of play.
Both teams battled equally up until the 69th minute of play when Clovis North senior forward Rocco Herzog booted in a loose ball, or a Clovis High player scored an own goal to tie the match.
“He told me he touched the ball,” said Shahrokhi about the goal.
Clovis North took a 2-1 lead with 16 minutes left in the match when senior forward Matt Swanback headed in a corner kick by Bryan López.
Having a top ranking, said Shahrokhi, means other teams will be relishing a crack at being the first to knock them down from that perch.
“I think we have a target on our back,” he said. “Any time we step on the field, we know the opponent wants to give us our first loss. And, the opponent would love to knock us off.”
Getting the top ranking “is super cool,” said Shahrokhi. “We’re really excited about it, but we know it’s mid-season. Our goal is, hopefully, in the final rankings at the end of the season that we’re in the same spot that we are in now.”
The secret, he said, is to focus on each game because “we know that it all could go away in one or two matches.”
Clovis High, said Shahrokhi, is a great rival.
“They have really good players and great coaches,” he said. “Any time we beat them, it feels great.”
Clovis High coach Danny Amparano was pleased that his team held its own against the Broncos.
“We were able to throw a 1-0 with maybe 24 minutes left, but we passed the ball back and hit an own goal,” said Amparano. “It gave them a little life. You saw the game change a little bit.”
Clovis held the López brothers (Brandon and Byran) scoreless.
“Our plan was working. We were controlling the game and frustrating them,” said Amparano. “Then we made a mistake and they capitalized on it.”
On the penalty kick, Amparano said Iracheta slipped on the wet ground as he planted his left foot to take the shot.
“No excuse, but you battle every year,” he said.
Amparano said his young squad will learn from the loss.
“We have two seniors on the field. The freshmen aren’t freshmen anymore. The sophomores aren’t sophomores anymore,” he said. “We have a lot of confidence in them. We don’t panic too much.
“We know we’re a good team. We’re going in the right area, and we just have to get ready for the postseason.”
The teams meet again on Feb. 3.
