‘Attitude’ defines Breakers’ season

Mike Sciacca

If Andy Thomas had his way, the start of the boys’ soccer season

would just be beginning.

Instead, it has come to an end for Laguna Beach High, officially

since a stirring, season-ending 4-3 victory at University.

The win was the third in 10 Pacific Coast League matches and

seventh of the season, overall, for the Breakers, but not enough to

qualify the squad for this week’s CIF Southern Section playoffs.

“I wish the season was just starting, to be honest,” Thomas said.

“The team had just started to really come together and perform

consistently.

“They were magnificent against University and came back from being

down twice, to win. The seniors really stepped up and led the younger

players, which is what I had been waiting for.”

Thomas described the play of Taylor King as “sensational.”

King, who played sweeper for most of the match, scored a hat trick

to lead Laguna.

The passing of Pablo Hernandez created several scoring

opportunities for the Breakers, and he was supported by a group of

“passionate” seniors.

“They never stopped working,” Thomas said of seniors Dieter

Shmidtz, Joey LeBon, Trey Phillips, Brennan Alvarado and John Wagner.

“They gave a 100% effort.

“They said before the game that they were not going to lose their

last high school game, and they basically made sure of it. They

deserved to win based on their desire alone.”

Laguna ended its season with an overall record of 7-13-1.

“The players’ attitude was admirable all year,” Thomas said. “I

can never fault their effort and desire. We just didn’t put the ball

on target enough and made too many mental errors that cost silly

goals.

“Before we could win, we had to learn how not to lose. It took too

long to do that. Each season brings differing problems to solve, and

success is based on how quickly we can solve them. It was another fun

year, however, and there are a lot of excellent younger players

left.”

Next year’s team will be built around returners Stuart Thomson,

Brendan Hexberg, Diego Valdivia, Brennan Healey, Leonardo Albarran

and Derek LeBon.

“And next year the first group of players from the Laguna Beach

Soccer Club will enter the program as freshman, and then this feeder

program will continue from that point on, to bring each year a wave

of players that have all played year-round, competitive soccer,” said

Thomas, who also coaches the club program. “That’s the only way

Laguna Beach High School will be able to compete at the Division II

level.

“The future looks very bright for high school soccer.”