Newport Coast in pursuit of some gold

COSTA MESA ? Ask the players on Newport Coast Elementary’s third- and fourth-grade boys soccer team if they can repeat as Daily Pilot Cup champions and you get a resounding “yup.”

Last year the Coyotes, which only have one third grader on the team, were in the Silver Division. Now they are playing for gold. Newport Coast scored three second-half goals for a 3-0 victory over Mariners Christian Tuesday in the first game of the Pilot Cup.

Newport Coast Coach Jeff Garell was pleased to see his team come around in the second half.

“We feel we’ve got some solid players,” Garell said. “We have some boys with big hearts. We’re excited for the boys. We just want them to have fun. That’s the first rule, have fun.”

The fun started for the Coyotes shortly into the second half. Alex Moore weaved his way through the defense before getting fouled to set up a penalty kick, which he fired into the upper-left corner to open the scoring.

“I used the inside and outside of my foot,” Moore said of how he whipped through defenders. “I like handling the ball.”

Moore said he was able to attack the Dolphins well because he plays with some of their players on his club team.

Mariner Christians’ Brent Olsen made a sliding save to prevent the lead from growing, but Newport Coast came back with two saves ? one sliding and one standing ? from Ali Amir.

“I’m the coach on the field,” Amir said. “I get to tell the defense where to go. If they’re in my way I tell them where to go.”

After Amir’s handy work protecting the goal, Newport Coast forward Ryan Cargile dribbled down the sideline and sent a pass into the middle of the field to Mason Garell, who dribbled through defenders before punching it in.

“I didn’t really see [Garell],” Cargile said. “I was just trying to center it. I knew he would get there. I took it down the sidelines, I saw two defenders and I used the moves I know, fake left, go right.”

Less than a minute later, Cargile came down and scored a goal of his own, with an assist from Chad Redfearn, to give Newport Coast a 3-0 lead.

“I was just dribbling through the defense,” Cargile said. “I didn’t think I would score, then I got through. The defense was tough.”

Redfearn, who set up the play with a steal, said he had confidence in his teammate.

“There were only two defenders,” Redfearn said. “I knew he could dribble by them.”

The first half was all defense. Mariner Christians’ Nick Ramons made two early saves. When faced with a one-on-one situation, Ramon made another save. Newport Coast took possession of the rebound and was about to shoot again, but Courtland Clark slipped in and stole the ball.

Ramons had four saves in the first half.

Amir, who had two saves in the half, kept the game scoreless in the waning seconds with a sliding save before kicking the ball clear.

For the Dolphins, Luke Napolatano, Ethan Hold, Daniel Munoz and Chase Jackson contributed on offense. On defense, Rory Fleming, Zack Beckan, Matt Elmajian, Matt Deferian, Grant Moore and Gannon Bond played well.

Arran Pollock, Travis Martin, Max Bourne, Brandon Wolfe, Daniel McCabe, Matt Freeman and Brandon Huang chipped in with solid play for Newport Coast.

Newport Coast will face Newport Elementary today at 3:45 p.m. at Farm No. 6.