PILOT CUP:Winning hardly matters for College Park

COSTA MESA — A four-goal deficit wasn’t about to disappoint the third-and fourth-grade boys and girls of the College Park Elementary team.

During halftime, Coach Juan Dominguez, a senior at Costa Mesa High, talked about defense. Meanwhile, the boys and girls bounced, lifting their hands, asking for playing time. PT. That’s what was most important in this game.

College Park’s A team, which wore green tank-top jerseys instead of Daily Pilot Cup T-shirts, lost, 5-0, to Sonora A, another co-ed team, but you wouldn’t really know it by the way the College Park boys and girls played and finished in the Bronze Division game Thursday.

These kids just wanted to have fun at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex. Of course, by the score, Sonora was apparently having a blast. But College Park wasn’t far behind with an enjoyable experience.

But everything wasn’t sunshine for College Park. After Sonora scored its fourth goal, College Park’s Hugo Duarte left the field dejected. But, Dominguez tried to lift his spirits.

“Good job, Hugo,” Dominguez said. “You were everywhere. You were a beast.”

Dominguez was one of three Costa Mesa High seniors coaching the College Park team. This year, College Park might not have had a team if not for the help from some Costa Mesa High students, including the trio, as well as Katie Finn, Sam Strodel, Marina Lazos, Caitlin Duffy and Alaina Abalos. The students helped form a boys’ team and a girls’ team at College Park and then formed the co-ed squad that played on Thursday.

Sonora was quite similar. The team was featured in the Daily Pilot Tuesday. Coach David Moo, from the Newport-Mesa Soccer Club was instrumental in developing two teams at Sonora, another school that would not have competed if not for some help.

Moo also had some support. NMSC players Danielle Young, a Costa Mesa freshman, Nicole Smith, a Newport Harbor freshman, and Newport Beach resident Lauren Rule, a Mater Dei freshman, also assisted with coaching the kids.

During the game, the girls had to remind their players not to score after they earned a five-goal lead. If Sonora scored again it would lose team points in the standings. Sonora kept it at five, thanks to goals by Cameron Curet, Daniel French, Estevan Bahena and Andrew Silva. Curet scored twice.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or at steve.virgen@latimes.com.