Patriots punch title game ticket
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers REASON TO CELEBRATE- Viewpoint's Carlo Digregorio, left, and Spencer Brown celebrate a goal during the team's quarterfinal victory over Bosco Tech. On Tuesday, the Patriots defeated Yucca Valley to advance to the CIF-SS Division VI title game on Saturday.

Saturday is a big day for the Viewpoint School boys' soccer team.

The Patriots will play topseeded Animo High for the CIFSouthern Section Division VI championship. Saturday's game will take place at Downey High at noon.

Viewpoint, seeded third in the division, advanced to the title game by defeating Yucca Valley 2-0 at home in double overtime Tuesday afternoon.

Sophomore Evan Raynr scored both of the Patriots' goals in the second overtime session. The first came on a penalty kick. The second, said head coach Travis Kikugawa, was a masterpiece.

"We had a quick transition on one of the corner kicks, and he was one-on-one with the goalie," Kikugawa said. "He walked it in. It was sick."

The Patriot defense was stout once again. When Yucca Valley attacked the Viewpoint zone, senior goalkeeper Naveed Majd shut them down, Kikugawa said.

"Naveed Majd, I'm telling you, he flat-out saved us," the coach said. "He came up with three or four point-blank saves."

Viewpoint has won four postseason games and carries a 19-1-6 overall record into Saturday's final.

Last Friday, in the quarterfinal round at home against Bosco Tech, sophomore Patrick Handy scored the game's first goal and senior Spencer Brown added two more goals as the Patriots breezed to a 3-1 win.

"Everybody is just working well together," said Brown, following the victory. "The guys gave me two easy ones. I didn't really have to do much by myself; it's just everybody putting it together."

In playing Animo, Viewpoint faces a tall task.

The Aztec Eagles are 29-0 this year, and have outscored the opposition 178-13. Rafael Baca and Johnny Aleman have combined to score 96 goals for the team from Inglewood.

Still, Kikugawa believes his team is up to the challenge.

"We play the right way. We play good soccer," he said. "We have the athletes to match up with anybody, and we've got the soccer players to put the ball on the ground and play the feet."