Laguna Beach boys’ soccer seeking fourth CIF crown

When Laguna Beach steps onto the pitch at Fred Kelly Stadium on Saturday, it will be doing so to compete in its first CIF Southern Section boys’ soccer final in more than two decades.

There will be championship experience on the sideline, though, as Breakers coach Andy Thomas takes aim at another title after delivering the program’s initial three in a previous stint.

“You’ve got to enjoy this whole process,” Thomas said. “You’ve got to enjoy the week leading up to it because, in your soccer career, it’s going to be the greatest thing you’re probably going to experience.

“It goes so quick, doesn’t it? The game goes so fast, and in the moment, you’re so pumped that it flies by, so I’ve just tried to impart that, just enjoy the whole week leading up to it.”

Laguna Beach (14-4-5) will square off with Yucaipa (14-7-4) in the Division 4 final on Saturday at 1 p.m. at El Modena High in Orange.

Also drawing local interest, Sage Hill (12-3) will meet La Mirada (13-8-3) in the Division 4 girls’ soccer final in the match directly preceding it at 10:30 a.m.

Thomas said the team would gather for dinner at Romeo Cucina, an Italian restaurant in downtown Laguna Beach, on Friday evening. Since senior forward Max Garner and sophomore midfielder Landon Hutcheon scored to key a 2-1 win at home in the semifinals, the Breakers have taken it all in.

“We put on their game-day uniforms, and they ran through town, down to the beach,” Thomas said. “Cars were honking, people were coming out of stores — shouting their best wishes to them. It was just a really cool thing.”

Laguna Beach’s luck has gone right since before the playoffs. On the final day of the regular season, the Breakers earned a win and got help from St. Margaret’s, which beat University 1-0. As a result, Laguna Beach finished atop the Pacific Coast League for its first league title since 1997.

“I think that probably was a galvanizing turning point, I think, in terms of their belief and confidence,” Thomas added. “I think getting the league title, I didn’t expect that to happen that last game of the season, so I think that was a nice surprise. … It sort of increased the hunger, I think, for the next part.”

Laguna Beach will be appearing in its fifth CIF final, having claimed back-to-back Division IV titles in 1997 and 1998. It won the Division V crown in 2002.

The Breakers also secured wins over West Covina South Hills, San Bernardino Indian Springs and Long Beach Poly in traversing the top half of the bracket.

Compton Dominguez 1, Los Amigos 0: Joshua Ramirez scored on a free kick from the top of the box in the first half for the host Dons on Saturday in a Division 5 semifinal.

Ramirez shot over a wall of players in front for the scoring strike in the 28th minute, but it was the play of senior goalkeeper Luis Martinez that made the difference in the match.

“Games as intense as this just feel so much easier knowing I have a brick wall in our goal,” Ramirez said of Martinez. “It’s hard to come and score against him. It’s hard to do it in practice, so I know it’s going to be hard for people to do it in games. I’m very relieved and very happy that we have someone of his caliber in goal.”

Martinez, who stands 6-foot-1, made a full-extension dive to stop a well-placed long-range shot from Julian Rivera that was ticketed for the upper-right corner of the goal early in the second half.

In the closing moments, Martinez also denied Erubey Bermudez — the Lobos’ leading scorer with 25 goals — on a bid from inside the box. The goalkeeper routinely snared crosses played in the air, making it difficult to get scoring chances close to the goal.

“You just got to stay on your toes, be ready for anything because anything could happen in the game,” Martinez said.

Los Amigos (12-6-2) fell one step short of its first CIF finals appearance since 2006, when the Lobos won the Division V title. It remains the only section final the program has played in.

“Obviously, when the final whistle blew, I was heartbroken because it was going to be the end of us, as coaches, coaching them and seeing them every day,” Los Amigos coach Jesus Razo said. “Those moments are always hard because you attach a special bond with them, and you see them grow and develop.”

Dominguez (15-2-2) will play at Thermal Desert Mirage (10-6-4) in the Division 5 final on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Studio City Harvard-Westlake 2, Edison 1 (OT): Micah Rossen scored the golden goal in overtime last Saturday to lift the visiting Wolverines into the Division 2 final.

Harvard-Westlake (13-5-2) opposes Jurupa Hills (17-6-4) in the championship game at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Ben Hickman scored for Edison (14-5-1), which was the Sunset League champion. Luke White drew the assist.