A trio of local prep boys soccer programs remain in contention for CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championships following a full postseason slate on Tuesday.
On a cold and wet night across the region, the Turlock, Pitman and Hilmar soccer teams earned victories to advance to Thursday night’s semifinal round in their respective divisions.
DIVISION I: Turlock 1 (2), River City 1 (1)
In a Division I quarterfinal clash in which offense was difficult to generate amid the weather conditions, Turlock High senior goalkeeper Kevin Ramirez earned the title as the team’s “Man of the Match” following his heroics in regulation, extra time and in penalty kicks.
Tied at one goal apiece following 100 minutes of play under the lights of Joe Debely Stadium, the No. 4 Bulldogs outscored No. 12 River City of West Sacramento in the penalty period, 2-1.
Converting successful PK attempts were seniors Keegan Pires and Manuel Guerrero. Meanwhile, a third save by Ramirez on the Raiders’ fourth penalty attempt clinched the match and punched the Bulldogs a ticket to Thursday’s semifinal.
In regulation, Ramirez made seven saves.
Guerrero also made an impact in the first 80 minutes, assisting on a goal by senior Sebastian Chahal. The lone goal in regulation for this year’s Central California Athletic League champions came on one of 13 shots by the always-threatening Turlock offense.
The program’s latest playoff win came two days after the Bulldogs defeated No. 13 Edison of Stockton by a 2-0 score. Netting both goals in Saturday’s first round match was Pires, receiving assists from senior Mario Chavez and freshman Sergio Alvarez-Suarez.
The Bulldogs, now 13-3-4 overall, will once again play host on Thursday night, welcoming No. 8 Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills (8-5-5) for a 6 p.m. kickoff. It will mark Turlock’s second straight semifinal appearance, and a win would send the program to its first section championship game since 2019.
The winner of Thursday’s match will take on No. 2 Davis or No. 3 Franklin (Elk Grove). The Division I championship match will be at 7 p.m. Saturday from Cosumnes River College.
DIVISION II: Pitman 2, Whitney 1
The Pride are still holding strong in its defense of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title, advancing to Thursday’s semifinal with a pair of 2-1 victories over the first two rounds of this year’s tournament.
On Tuesday night, the No. 3 Pride received goals from freshman Christian Flores and senior Giancarlo Nakamura to down No. 6 Whitney.
In Pitman’s playoff opener on Saturday, also on their home turf, seniors Noah Shamoon and Alex Vasquez delivered goals to best No. 14 Merced.
Now, for the first time this season, the Pride will be hitting the road, visiting No. 2 Rocklin for Thursday’s semifinal, slated to start at 6 p.m. Pitman will enter the match with a 14-5-1 overall record, while the Thunder enter 13-4-4.
On the other side of the bracket is No. 1 Granite Bay and No. 4 Woodcreek. The battle for the Division II blue banner will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday at Cosumnes River College.
Last year’s title game appearance marked the first in Pitman’s history.
DIVISION V: Hilmar 7, Sonora 1
While there have been nail-biting playoff contests across the section over the past week, the Hilmar High boys have been cruising, outscoring the first two postseason opponents by a combined score of 11-1.
Tuesday afternoon at the familiar confines of Joe Mattos Field, the No. 4 Yellowjackets surrendered their first goal of the postseason against Trans-Valley League rival Sonora, seeded No. 12, in the Division V quarterfinal match. It was not before building themselves a comfortable lead that eventually led to a 7-1 win to advance to the semifinal round for the second straight season.
Senior Miguel Gonzalez led the way for this year’s TVL champions with a hat trick. Sophomore standout Zabdiel Vasquez added a pair of scores, while senior Alex Rosales and junior Blake Vitorino also found the back of the net.
In Hilmar’s opening round match against No. 13 Riverbank, Vitornio himself recorded a hat trick, while Gonzalez was again a goal-scorer. It also marked the sixth shutout of the season for senior keeper Salvador Rodriguez.
The 17-2-3 Yellowjackets will be taking the drive north to face top-seeded Galt (19-2) for a chance at the program’s first section title game appearance since they won it all in early 2020. A win would set them up against either No. 2 Summerville or No. 3 Dixon, with the championship match scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at Sacramento City College.
