Central Valley’s boys soccer team is inching closer to securing its ninth trip to a Sac-Joaquin Section title game.
The Hawks advanced to the semifinals in the Division-I bracket this past week after topping Inderkum and River City.
“For us, it was the expectation,” head coach Horacio Garcia said. “We’re just happy we’re moving to the next round. This is the second time in three years we’ve made it this far. We’re trying to punch our ticket to the finals.”
Third-seeded Central Valley edged 11th-seeded Inderkum 2-0 in double overtime on Friday at CUSD Stadium.
The Hawks and Tigers battled for 100 minutes.
“Both teams were exhausted after the game,” Garcia said.
Central Valley improved to 18-6-6 overall and claimed the Western Athletic Conference championship with an 11-1-2 mark.
The Tigers earned the right to play the Hawks after upsetting sixth-seeded Kennedy 2-0 in the first round.
Inderkum posted an 11-9-4 record and finished seventh in the Capital Valley Conference with a 2-7-3 mark.
“They were last in their league,” Garcia said. “They played way better than that. They had plenty of scoring chances. We kept fighting. Very close game. That’s how all of the games are in playoffs.”
Alejandro Garcia accounted for both of the Hawks’ goals.
He converted a penalty kick midway through the first overtime.
He scored from 6 yards out in the second overtime.
Central Valley goalkeeper Osvaldo Cisneros totaled eight saves, including three in overtime.
The Hawks pulled away for a 2-0 win over 14th-seeded River City Raiders on Wednesday at CUSD Stadium.
“I’m very happy with how we played,” coach Garcia said. “We were on their side of the field the majority of the game. I knew it would be a matter of time before we scored.”
Tied at 0-0, Central Valley outscored River City 2-0 during the second half.
Adrian Serrano and Anantah Sivongxay both tallied one goal for the Hawks.
Serrano scored from 25 yards away off a pass from Jayden Pires.
“Lucky for us, the goalkeeper misjudged it,” Horacio Garcia said.
Sivongxay converted a penalty kick late in the game.
Cisneros made one save.
The Hawks didn’t underestimate the Raiders, who amassed a 6-8-5 overall record and placed second in the Monticello Empire League with a 5-3-2 mark this winter.
“They didn’t play like a No. 14 seed,” coach Garcia said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. It was a do-or-die game. If you lose, your season ends. They made us struggle for a little bit.”
Central Valley will face second-seeded Davis Sr. High School in the semifinals today on the road at 6 p.m.
Ranked 52nd in the nation, the Blue Devils enter the game with a 15-3-2 overall record.
Davis Sr. placed first in the Sierra Foothill League with an 11-3-0 mark.
“It’s the most important game of the year for us,” Horacio Garcia said. “We’ve played really good teams throughout the season. I set up our preseason schedule to prepare us for this scenario.”
The Blue Devils shut out the Hawks 3-0 in non-conference play on Dec. 11.
“We’re very excited to get a rematch against them,” coach Garcia said. “We know it’s going to be a challenge. My kids are going to give everything they have.”
