By Emily Chan
In their fourth league game of the season, Fountain Valley High School boys’ soccer (5-2) went up against Marina High School (0-11-2). The Barons played hard on their Senior Night, winning with a final score of 5-0 on Friday.
“Marina beat us twice last year. We knew that any game could be a tough game, especially in the new year, so it was good that we came out and got a win,” head coach Jason Smith said.
The game commenced with several offensive plays by senior and captain Drew Payne in the center, and senior Ethan Ro provided critical runs on the wings. However, as the Barons advanced up the field, the Vikings’ keen defensive line thwarted any of the Barons’ early attempts at scoring.
“Sometimes the teams that you should beat are the hardest because you still got to keep playing and working hard,” Smith said. “There’s no team in our league that’s a pushover.”
However, five minutes into the half, a straight pass was made to senior Asif Sahib, who provided a divisive cross to Payne. Payne successfully defended the ball against the oncoming Vikings and converted a quick middle shot to score the Baron’s first goal.
As time passed, the Vikings’ tackles in the midfield and the wings combated the Barons’ offensive pressure. The Vikings then led a strong attack, with their winger accelerating past Ro to make a cross but were ultimately pushed back by the Barons.
Both teams held similar possessions with multiple out-of-bounds, resulting in several corner kicks by Ro and throw-ins by the Vikings. Marina received a yellow card following a tackle between senior Joseph Gendi and a Vikings’ defender.
Afterward, a pinnacle moment arose when one of the Viking defenders sent a long ball soaring up the pitch, but a header by sophomore Cole Korhonen quickly stopped it. Shortly after on a corner kick, sophomore Nixon Hunt rose up and headered the ball into goal.
With only two minutes left in the half, junior Maximus Di Monte drove down the right side and provided a crucial cross to senior Cash Heit. However, the ball proceeded to ricochet off of Hunt to meet sophomore Noah Guerrero’s run. Once Guerrero got a hold of the ball, he converted a cross-post shot, giving the Barons a lead of 3-0.
Holding a strong lead over the Vikings at the start of the second half, the Barons continued to show powerful offense, swiftly encroaching on the contending team’s goal. The Marina goalie pushed down the Ro’s attempted assist for Payne. While the ball bounced out, senior Julian Moradi’s great speed allowed him to sweep past the Viking defenders, get a hold of the ball, and secure the Barons’ fourth goal.
It was not long before the Barons scored yet another goal. Payne’s center pass met senior Gideon Griffiths’ run as he approached the opposing goal. Without hesitation, Griffiths sent the ball soaring to the top right corner and past the keeper’s outstretched hands for a clean final goal.
With such a high lead and impressive defense, the Barons dashed the Vikings’ chances of generating a comeback. Marina and Fountain Valley’s goalies prevented any other goals from being made, thus closing out the final half.
“It was our senior game today, so it was good,” Smith said. “All of our seniors got to play, and they all had some fun.”
The Barons will continue to work hard in their upcoming away league game against Huntington Beach High School on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.
“We’re not even halfway through this season, so we just got to keep going. We play Edison High School and Huntington Beach High School, two of the tougher teams in our league, next week, so it’s going to be a good test for us,” Smith said.
