Central Valley boys keep title hopes alive in WAC soccer race

All Patterson High needed to wrap up its first outright Western Athletic Conference boys soccer title since 2009 was a tie against Central Valley, the team that has won six consecutive league crown dating back to its days in the Valley Oak League.

But in the 62nd minute of Monday’s showdown, Central Valley’s Gerardo Enriquez booted in the game-winner from 12 yards out, propelling the Hawks to a 2-1 victory and keeping alive their hopes for the league’s top playoff seed.

With the victory, Central Valley improves to 7-0-4, good for 25 points (three for a win, one for a tie). Patterson, at 9-2-0, has 27 points.

The Tigers face third-place Livingston on Wednesday, while the Hawks get 1-10 Los Banos.

It seems likely that Central Valley will earn three points in the regular-season finale, pushing its point total to 28. That means to finish in first, Patterson must win. A tie Wednesday would give them 28 points, and the Hawks hold the tiebreaker.

“This league is very competitive, and it’s not just the top two,” said Central Valley coach Omar Leon, who has guided his team to the Sac-Joaquin Section title game in four of the past five seasons, and what will soon be eight straight trips to the playoffs. “And this game was very competitive; it could’ve gone either way.”

With the score tied 1-1, forward Enriquez got free on the counter attack and outraced his defender to the penalty spot, where he unleashed a shot that beat the keeper to right side of the net.

“Their forwards are so quick,” said Patterson coach Greg Hartsell. “They were pushing hard on the counter and it’s tough to defend.”

Patterson tied the score 1-1 in the 54th minute when left back Claudio Mora scored off a corner kick, served in from midfielder Jordy Corral. The kick came into the box and a Patterson player whiffed on a header. The ball fell just to the right of Mora, who tapped it in from 5 yards out.

The Tigers had a total of 16 set pieces – including two in the final three minutes of regulation and one in stoppage time – but couldn’t convert on any others.

Central Valley’s opening goal came in the second minute of the contest when right back Custodio Vasquez scored off a corner kick.

“We’ve won the title every year since we came into this league and we’re trying to keep that tradition going,” said Vasquez, a senior co-captain. “Today was really more about the love of the game.

“Hopefully, we can end our string of finishing second in the section. We’ve got a great squad; I think we can.”

Of course, another lengthy playoff run would be greatly helped by earning the league’s top playoff seed. And Patterson will have something to say about that.

“We don’t want a tie (Wednesday) and we’ don’t want to be co-champs,” Hartsell said. “We want the No. 1 seed.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2014 at 8:10 PM with the headline "Central Valley boys keep title hopes alive in WAC soccer race."