The hardest thing in sports is maintaining.  All the great teams find a way to maintain composure and level of play.  But the second hardest thing is starting over, and that’s exactly what the Rams have to do tonight in the first round of State.

Millikan’s season goal was to win CIF, and to have the title game end the way it did, playing three days later is that much more difficult.

The Rams have their work cut out for them, too, as the City Section Champions come to Long Beach.  El Camino Real (17-7-3) beat Locke with an early goal and good defense in a game very similar to the match between Millikan and El Toro.

“They’re a lot like Loyola,” says Millikan coach Rod Petkovic of Conquistadores.  “Very organized… they like to move the ball around.”

Millikan will be without sweeper Manuel Estrada, who is serving a one-game red card suspension.  That will put more pressure on the Ram offense and Jose “Chicken” Torres to keep the pressure on El Camino and take them out of their possession game.

As if the Rams needed any more motivation to advance in State, most likely waiting in the next round is El Toro.  Need we say more?  Come out to Millikan tonight at 5pm and support Moore League soccer.