CHULA VISTACHULA VISTA — It’s been an up-and-down season for the Del Norte boys soccer team. Make that an up-and-down and way up season now.
The fourth-seeded Nighthawks got a second-half hat trick from Anthony Wilson to down No. 2 Rancho Bernardo, 4-1, in the San Diego Section Division I championship Saturday night at Hilltop High.
“I haven’t had a one in a long, long time,” said Wilson, a senior heading to play at Loyola Marymount next year, of his three-goal feat. “I mean it had to be since I was somewhere between 10 and 13.”
Coming out in the second half tied at 1-1, Wilson gave Del Norte (9-6-4) the lead it would never relinquish when he worked some nifty teamwork with classmate Colin O’Neal attacking the left side of the Rancho Bernardo goal in the 62nd minute.
About 30 yards out he cut inside, pushed it out to O’Neal on his left and raced toward the back post. O’Neal hit him perfectly, and Wilson sent it home.
“I had a feeling Colin was going to play it back to me so I just raced to the goal,” said Wilson. “I had plenty of time to take it so I just picked my spot in the corner.”
In the 75th minute Wilson attacked up the right side where he was taken down in the box for a penalty kick. It was a free shot he wasn’t proud of, being saved by Broncos goalie Cade Miller, but he was able to jump on the rebound and put it home.
“It was a horrible penalty,” itted Wilson, “but fortunately it came right back to me.”
He ended all the scoring three minutes later, taking a from Jacob Spurgiesz on the assist.
“(RB) was really chasing the ball at the time so there wasn’t many back for that last one,” he said.
The Broncos (10-6-4) grabbed the early lead when USD-bound Samy Kanaan came free on the right side of the goal, faked out goalkeeper Arturo Vargas, and scored the easy goal.
“We don’t usually give up an early goal like that,” said Del Norte coach David O’Riley. “We had to calm down and compose ourselves, which was my message at halftime as well.”
Spurgiesz got the Nighthawks even in the 22nd minute.
“The ball came over the top and I was able to get a good touch on it,” said the senior midfielder. “The defender came rushing at me so I just put it past him.”
Del Norte outshot the Broncos 9-3.
“We really started the year off inconsistently,” said Wilson. “But it was my goal to win a trophy in high school, of course we wanted Open (Division) but I’ll take it.”
Girls
Torrey Pines 4, Eastlake 2: Torrey Pines has been the surprise of the section in girls soccer in the playoffs. The Falcons came from the No. 10 seed to winning the Division I title.
The Falcons (7-12-4) scored four unanswered goals and rallied from an early two-goal deficit to upset top-seeded Eastlake in the final.
Eastlake (8-8-3) took the early advantage on goals by Eva Wees and Ashley Mekitarian.
Laurel Gonzales tied it up with goals in the 26th and 50th minutes for the Falcons. Preslea Wilson scored what proved to be the winner 10 minutes later. Gonzales iced it with her third goal on a breakaway in the 70th minute.
The Falcons also upset No. 2 seed West Hills in the quarterfinals. The Falcons played the Titans to an early season scoreless tie in December.
Farmer is a freelance writer.
