Boys’ Soccer: Mesa mounts rally to remember
When it comes to motivation for a high school athlete, a city championship, crosstown bragging rights and the chance to salvage a highlight in an otherwise lackluster season can rate pretty high. But for much of the Costa Mesa High boys’ soccer team, all those amounted to something close to nil against rival Estancia on Thursday at Jim Scott Stadium.
Costa Mesa, which had lost six of its previous seven to fall out of contention for the CIF Southern Section playoffs, rallied for two goals, the second in the 77th minute, to claim a surprising 2-2 Orange Coast League tie.
But the full impact of Costa Mesa’s unlikely comeback registered well beyond the scoreboard, prompting a flood of tears from players, coaches, parents and family members who took away more resonant satisfaction.
“There were some personal things going on within the team, with some family members of our players,” said Mesa Coach Amos Hernandez, who like his players, coaches and some parents and spectators, was gripped by emotion as he spoke moments after the final whistle. “It was nice to have the group rally for them and have that be what glued it together.”
Fatefully, both Mustangs’ goals were scored by players in the center of the turmoil.
Sophomore Fernando Gutierrez scored in the 49th minute to cut into the Eagles’ 2-0 halftime lead and sophomore Danny Vargas booted in the equalizer with just less than four minutes left to help the Mustangs improve to 3-9-2, 1-6-1 in league.
Vargas drove the culminating goal into the upper left corner of the cage from about 12 yards out, cashing in a rebound of a Gutierrez shot that had been deflected by a defender.
“I did it for one of my teammates [Gutierrez] and I did it for my cousin who passed away,” said Vargas, who went on to reveal that 11-year-old Kevin Vargas, the son of his father’s brother, had a cancerous tumor and passed away in July. “I have to thank all the guys for supporting [Kevin Vargas]. We did [memorial] ribbons and everything. My coaches were there supporting us also.”
Gutierrez, who poked in a ball that Vargas directed away from a charging goalkeeper on a rebound of a shot by senior Manuel Gutierrez, related through tears that he couldn’t wait to report his heroics to someone very special to him.
“That goal and that game was dedicated to my mom,” Fernando Gutierrez said. “She’s sick and I love her and I don’t want to lose her. Everyone was playing for her and I’m thankful for that. We all tried really hard.”
Hernandez said the effort, but more so the circumstances behind the rally, were as gratifying as it gets.
“Fernando’s [mother, Maria Solis] is ill and not doing well, and he has kind of hung in there all year,” Hernandez said. “And for him to score and cry and have his teammates embrace him the way they did and to have him embrace me the way he did ... I really couldn’t care less about the result of the game, because to see him smile like that is why I do this. I don’t [coach] for the wins and losses or what the critics say. I do this because I want to help kids.”
Danny Vargas said he would always remember this game.
“I’m going to relive that [goal] over and over,” Vargas said. “This is very happy news and me and [Fernando Gutierrez] are very happy to get the tie.”
The news, however, was potentially devastating for Estancia, which is battling for one of the league’s three guaranteed CIF Southern Section playoff berths. Had the Eagles (12-4-4, 3-2-3) held on and won, they would have vaulted past Saddleback into third place with 14 points (three points for a win and one for a tie). But the tie, along with Saddleback’s 0-0 tie against Laguna Beach on Friday, leaves Coach Robert Castellano’s Eagles with 12 points, one behind Saddleback and three behind second-place Laguna Beach with two league games left.
Estancia visits Saddleback on Tuesday, then finishes at home against league champion Godinez on Thursday.
“We needed those three points,” Castellano said. “But we just weren’t as hungry as [the Mustangs] were in the second half. They played hard and they wanted that game pretty bad.”
Estancia, which handled Costa Mesa, 2-0, in their first meeting on Jan. 16, opened the scoring with a Ricky Gutierrez penalty kick. The chip shot was set up when Brandon Mendes was tripped in the 18-yard box in the 15th minute.
Ricky Gutierrez, a senior, then drove a cross to the far post that junior Tony Hernandez headed back toward the opposite post and into the net to double the lead mere seconds before halftime.
Both coaches addressed the two-goal margin with their players at halftime.
“We said ‘Guys, the next goal is going to sway the advantage,” Castellano said.
Said Hernandez of his halftime speech: “We told them they were not going to remember wins and losses, or all the goals they scored, or not making [the playoffs]. But they would remember moments like [a comeback to tie or win]. Being up two goals is a tricky score, because if the team that is behind gets a goal, they get the momentum. And momentum can be powerful.”
Estancia had eight first-half shots to double Mesa’s total, but the Mustangs had 12 shots to the Eagles’ eight after the break. Mesa had a chance to win in the final seconds, as sophomore Jeyson Calderon ran onto a through ball inside the box. But Estancia defender Tony Hernandez retreated to clear the ball, which had averted the possession of the Eagles’ charging goalkeeper.
Costa Mesa sophomore Estevan Bahena, who stepped in at goalkeeper after starter Axel Morales Bravo exited in the third minute with a left knee injury, made five of his team’s six saves. Included among Bahena’s saves was a diving stop of a drive by Estancia junior forward Kevin Pizzaro, who leads the Eagles with 10 goals and three assists.
“Considering the way the season has gone, this definitely feels like a victory for us,” Amos Hernandez said.