Warrior boys defeated in CIF soccer

Despite its first-round loss vs. Dos Pueblos, 1-0, the Westlake boys’ soccer team and head coach Bill Propster had reason to be proud this year.

The Warriors won the Marmonte League, going undefeated (10-0-2) and finished with an overall record of 21-2-4.

"It’s been a magical season," Propster said, putting things in perspective after Dos Pueblos upset Westlake at home last Thursday afternoon. "Coming into it, we all knew we’d be pretty good, but who knew we’d lose one game all year in the regular season and be undefeated in league?"

If second- and third-place league finishers Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park made it farther in the playoffs (both were still alive in the second round) it may have been, in part, by design.

"Our big goal was to win league," said Propster, "and the playoffs were secondary. I’m sure if we had not won league but had won this one (Dos Pueblos) we’d be disappointed in not winning the league."

Still, the first-round loss stung after a season in which Westlake seemed to do everything except lose games.

"I’m happy with the season," said Eric Brin, a senior. "But I thought we could go further. We just didn’t put in today. I think we outplayed them in the second half. But you’ve got to come out every day. These guys are a third-place team and they beat us."

Senior Steve Savro didn’t think the loss came as a result of lack of effort. "We gave it our all," he said.

Jared Keith, a senior goalkeeper, thought he and his teammates did, in fact, give it everything they had vs. Dos Pueblos, that the Warriors did achieve much this season, and that Dos Pueblos was a worthy opponent.

"Nobody thought we’d do what we did in league," said Keith. "We proved ourselves in league and we played as hard as we could today. There’s nothing we could have done different, they’re just a good team."

Propster is losing 10 seniors from this year’s team. He paid tribute to them after the season-ending loss vs. the Chargers.

"I love the way they played," said the Warrior coach. "Of all the teams I’ve coached, I was most pleased with the way they played. The type of soccer we played—we scored a lot of goals—we played well defensively."

Propster added, "I think the fans liked coming out and watching our games. I had parents from other teams and referees telling me that, so I feel really good about that. It was entertaining."

Keith said he was saddened not by the loss of the game vs. Dos Pueblos, but for the ending of the season signaling the end of the high school soccer careers of 10 players.

"That’s what I’m said about," Keith said. "Never playing on this field again."