Pilot Cup: Hats off to Higuera

As Aiden Higuera’s goal total continued to mount, the uninitiated soccer observers began to consider potential terminology to describe his scoring feat, when the familiar hat trick no longer applied.

When four Higuera goals became five to help the Rea Elementary boys’ third- and fourth-grade Gold Division team roll toward an eventual 7-2 win over Newport Heights in pool play at the Daily Pilot Cup on Wednesday, it was widely agreed that no standard slang applied.

But when Higuera capped his prolific performance with his sixth goal to finalize the Sharks’ scoring, Rea Coach Phil D’Agostino pointed out the obvious, that it could be called a double hat trick.

Higuera showed a diversity of tricks to riddle the cage at Jack Hammett Sports Complex, even unleashing a bicycle kick in the 36th minute to give Rea a 4-1 cushion.

After Higuera opened the scoring by spinning 180 degrees with the ball on the right wing and firing it into the net from about 15 yards out in the game’s first minute, Newport Heights answered when Murphy Malouf cashed in a sloppy clearing pass to knot things in the third minute.

Marlon Cortes, who matched Higuera with one goal each in the Sharks’ 5-2 loss to Lincoln on Tuesday, gave Rea the lead for good in the 17th minute by taking advantage of an ill-advised cross by a Newport Heights defender in front of its own goal.

But Rea then rode the diminutive shoulders, and feet, of Higuera, who scored five times in the second 25-minute half to help Rea even its tournament record at 1-1.

“It was a lot of Aiden today,” D’Agostino said of the speedy and creative forward, who often worked his way behind the defense, and seldom missed the net when he did shoot.

“Our first game against Lincoln, [the players] were nervous. They were wound really tight [Tuesday] and we lost. But we regrouped and they knew what they could do and they really came through [Wednesday].”

Brandon Garcia had the assist on Higuera’s first goal, while Cortes also picked up an assist. But assists were not needed on the remaining goals, including a Higuera run from near midfield, before beating the goalie to put the Sharks up, 6-2.

Evan Cordova converted from short range inside the right post in the 41st minute to pull Newport Heights, which shares the Sharks mascot, within 5-2.

But there were few highlights for Newport Heights, which perhaps had some butterflies of its own in its first tournament contest.

Rea finished with an 18-11 advantage in shots, and also posted some impressive defense, anchored by starting goalkeeper Joshue Perez, who had all of his team’s seven saves.

Perez continually came up big, often with little time to react on shots from within 10 yards out.

“Joshue had a great game,” D’Agostino said. “He’s fearless.”

D’Agostino, a former principal at Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools who is now the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s director of student services, said a catalytic move for the Rea offense was moving Garcia up front for Wednesday’s triumph.

“[Garcia] is fast and that helped us to get the ball to Aiden,” D’Agostino said. “And Aiden did the rest.”

Also contributing to Rea’s win were Martin Romero, Oscar Lazaro, Diego Aguilar, Joshua Puerta, David Cervantes, Jose Rivera, Salah Alwasheem, Kevin Rojas and Ivan Leon.

Adding to the cause for Newport Heights were Maniang Thioub, Wyatt Ward, Jonathan Reyes, Trey Smith, Blake Tomalas, Cooper Sitzman, Tommy Robinson, Ethan Klein and Jack Cereda.