CIF FIRST ROUND
Boys’ Soccer, Thursday Feb. 18th
 
Millikan vs. Palos Verdes, Millikan High @ 3pm

The Rams are the top seed in the bracket after all of the halabaloo at the end of the Moore League season, and it’s created a bit of a chip on their shoulder.  Interestingly enough, that might be just what Millikan needed.  Now headed into the playoffs, the Rams can’t stop talking about how they want to prove people wrong and prove they truly are the best.

As for their opponent Palos Verdes (who beat Servite in the wild card game) Millikan coach Rod Petkovic said, “they’re big.  They definitely get three meals a day.”  PV will look a lot like Wilson in that they love to play high and wide.  Millikan will have a game plan ready that includes limiting the stoppage of play and set pieces.

Wilson vs. Huntington Beach, Wilson High @ 3pm

The Bruins are still trying to get the bad taste of their season-ending loss to Millikan out of their mouths. Obviously, the best way to do that is a first-round win at home over the Oilers.  Huntington Beach is the third seed out of the Sea View League.  They are under .500 overall and an even .500 in league play. However, they’ve won four of their last five.  An early goal from Wilson could slow the Oilers down and give the Bruins the swagger they had a few weeks back.

Cabrillo @ San Clemente, 3pm

The Jaguars, who haven’t lost in their last seven games, will travel to see the Tritons who come out of the South Coast League as the top seed.  Earlier this season, Poly beat San Clemente and Jordan played them to a tie.

“That was a lot earlier in the season,” said Cabrillo coach Pat Noyes.  “I looked up the facilities on Google Earth and it’s field turf… when I told the team, they got pretty excited.”

Cabrillo loves to play the one-touch soccer they enjoy at home on their immaculate pitch, and they hope to continue that home momentum on the road down the I-5 freeway.

Jordan @ Edison, 3pm

The Panthers have a tough task in the Chargers who are 10-1 in league and haven’t lost in a month.  Jordan will need a huge game from goalkeeper Omar Castillo, who will face a lot of shots from an aggressive Edison unit.

Come back to LBPOSTsports.com for all the CIF Playoff coverage!