Daily Breeze
March 4, 2007
Tony Ciniglio
With the way Animo cruised through the Harbor League and the CIF Southern Section Division VI boys soccer playoffs, the Aztec Eagles couldn't be blamed if they thought Saturday's division final against Viewpoint was going to be another one-sided affair.
So when Rafael Baca scored on a nifty give-and-go play with Fernando Barba in the second minute, that only added to the conviction that it was going to be a cakewalk.
It was anything but.
Viewpoint had Animo on its heels in the first half and even had the audacity to score a goal on the Aztec Eagles before Animo turned it on in the second half for a 4-1 victory Saturday at Downey High. It is the first CIF title for the school that opened its doors in 2000.
For Animo, it was a perfect ending to a perfect season, one in which the Aztec Eagles went 30-0, made an impressive title run at the South Torrance Tournament and outscored their playoff opponents, 28-1.
Coach Sergio Medrano was doused with a Gatorade shower as the final seconds ticked off.
"When I received the trophy, that's when it began to set in," a soaked Medrano said.
"It's a testament to our progress. In our first season, we made the semis, and last year we made the semis. But at this point, this program deserves a title."
The players held the championship plaque up to the crowd, then hoisted Principal Julio Murcia on their shoulders.
After emerging from the locker room, they were greeted by their fans and ran through a human victory tunnel.
"That's our Animo style," said Johnny Aleman, who scored the tiebreaking goal on a penalty kick in the 38th minute. "We try to do everything possible to make us and our fans equal to the victory.
"We know we didn't have much competition this season, but we respected our opponents. Yet today was a dogfight. We were shocked about how Viewpoint came out at us."
For the first time in the postseason, Animo had a seed of doubt, however small.
Patrick Handy scored on a header on a pass from Jeff Safenowitz in the 29th minute to tie the game as Viewpoint (19-2-6) held its own in an even first half.
It was the first goal Animo had given up since Feb. 1 in a 3-2 nonleague win over Valley Christian of Cerritos, a span of eight games or 671 minutes.
Nine minutes later, Aleman drew a foul inside the penalty box and drilled the penalty kick, putting Animo ahead for good with his 44th goal.
"I didn't see the player, but I felt the contact and I fell at that point," Aleman said. "It was a smart play. That brought my team and my spirit up."
Animo adjusted at halftime and took control in the second half.
Roberto Alvarez scored a free kick on a nice floater in the 63rd minute to give Animo a cushion.
"I made a free kick in our semifinal and I really wanted to do one today, too," Alvarez said. "When I kicked it, I knew it was in. It was really nerve-wracking for a while, but our Animo spirit pulled through.
"It was a perfect season. At 30-0, we can't ask for anything more."
Baca put the finishing touches on the game with another nice give-and-go goal in the 77th minute, this time receiving a pass from Aleman for his school-record 55th goal of the season.
"Coach had told us to come out and play like we did in our past games," Baca said. "That fourth goal just killed them.
"I knew it was going to be a good game because it was a championship game, but we were confident the whole time, even when they played us tough.
"I'm just so proud of my team. It was complete happiness at the end, and I want to thank my teammates and our fans for making this such a special season.
You never forget the first one."