Bulldogs boys reach semifinals of Islander soccer tournament
Ramona High School’s boys soccer team reached the semifinals of the Islander Tournament before a loss to eventual champion Carlsbad High School.
A second-place finish in pool play allowed Ramona to advance to the semifinals.
“The only two teams we lost to were in the finals,” said Coach Michael Jordan.
The Bulldogs began pool play Dec. 2 at the Coronado Cays field. Ramona faced The Preuss School and came from behind for a 2-1 victory.
The Bulldogs then faced Coronado High School at the Islanders’ home field and lost by a 2-0 score. Coronado won the pool and lost in the finals to Carlsbad.
The battle for second place in the pool - and the ability to play in the semifinals - took place Dec. 6 at Coronado Cays. Ramona took a 2-0 victory over Mount Miguel to secure the pool’s runner-up berth.
The Bulldogs returned to Coronado High School for the December 8 match against Carlsbad. The Lancers had a 2-0 lead at halftime, but midway in the second half sophomore Eddie Duarte scored his first varsity goal with an assist from David Downing. The goal was also the first score by any team against Carlsbad during the 2008-09 season.
“We played a fantastic last 20 minutes,” Jordan said. “We had five legitimate shots on goal.”
None of those shots went into the net, giving the Lancers a 2-1 victory. Carlsbad then defeated Coronado by a 2-0 margin in the finals.
Ramona’s home opener December 12 saw the Bulldogs lose 4-0 to Rancho Bernardo in a non-league match.
“They were quick and they passed really well,” Jordan said of the Broncos.
The Broncos scored their first goal 90 seconds into the game and added another on a first-half penalty kick.
“We had some chances in the second half, but then they scored two more goals on us,” Jordan said.
As was the case with Carlsbad, Rancho Bernardo has not lost a game all season.
“We can’t be in awe of a team,” Jordan said. “We need to walk on the field and think that we can beat anybody and know that we can beat anybody if we can just play our game.”
Jordan believes that wins in the future will allow the players to believe that. “That’s something that they’re going to have to realize themselves. We can’t tell them that,” he said.
The loss to Rancho Bernardo gave Ramona a 3-3 record for the season. In addition to the two undefeated teams who have beaten the Bulldogs, Coronado’s only loss this season was to Carlsbad in the tournament finals.
Jordan, a 1989 Ramona High School graduate, spent nine seasons coaching the Bulldog girls before making his boys debut this season. While he was the girls’ coach, he initiated a doubleheader for the girls and boys programs featuring the current varsity versus alumni players. Proceeds from that game are used to provide scholarships for current seniors, and this year’s doubleheader will take place Saturday evening.