Girls’ soccer: Top-ranked Corona Santiago balances shenanigans and execution

The Thursday night time torrent does little, sadly, to clean away the scent of urine.

There are rats inside Corona Santiago Excessive’s press field, in accordance with ladies’ soccer coach Mike Fleming. Thus, Fleming attests, the room smells of urine. It’s nonetheless a refuge, although, from the onslaught of rain that kilos Santiago’s turf this early-January night time, gamers on the sphere squinting.

The rubber observe across the area fills with puddles. The Santiago ladies’ soccer gamers, bundled in jackets, gleefully and punt a waterlogged ball via the water earlier than a recreation in opposition to Corona Centennial.

They assemble on the sphere, Sharks gamers beginning to carry out the Griddy Dance amid the downpour as Kanye West’s “Energy” thumps over soaked loudspeakers. Fleming carries a big umbrella, and gamers on the sidelines crack up as he jogs over from a pregame assembly with officers.

“It’s like a seaside umbrella,” one participant mentioned whereas laughing.

At first look, nothing is taken too significantly. Santiago is simply one other public highschool soccer crew in an period of membership dominance. The gamers mosh-pit of their locker room earlier than each recreation to “Pictures” by LMFAO. Their assistant coach tells them, “Could the Pressure be with you.” And their press field smells of urine.

“We’re not strolling round like, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re one of the best within the nation,’” sophomore ahead Madelyn Saruwatari mentioned.

But they may.

The rain slows and shenanigans finish at kickoff, changed by an unrelenting possession-based assault and dogged pursuit of the ball. It is a group of neighborhood youngsters, Fleming says proudly, enjoying in a system that’s change into probably the greatest in Southern California. Via this winter season, the Sharks are 14-0-1 and ranked as one of the best crew within the nation by the United Soccer Coaches.

“It’s most likely the least gifted crew I’ve seen in eight years watching them … and but, they nonetheless are in a position to keep on prime,” Centennial coach Jason Smith mentioned. “That’s fairly outstanding, when you concentrate on it.”

Each season, Fleming instills a phrase because the crew’s motto. In 2019-20, when Santiago received its first Southern Part Division I title, it was “belief” — this system switching philosophies from a direct assault to ball management. This season, it’s “execute.”

He doesn’t let the crew neglect it, the women laughing at how typically Fleming repeats the phrase.

“He simply all the time reminds us, like …” Saruwatari says, earlier than being interrupted by senior Kaitlyn Currier, who has dedicated to Cal State East Bay.

“We’re going to execute ourselves if we don’t execute!” Currier shouts in a gruff-voiced impression of Fleming, teammates cracking up.

Very like the women, Fleming doesn’t take himself too significantly. The 23-year head coach has been blessed by expertise, he mentioned, with six faculty commits on final season’s crew and 11 the season earlier than. He’s an enormous believer in “maintain it easy, silly,” he says with a smile.

“The older I get,” Fleming says with a smile, “the simpler it’s.”

Snigger as they may at Fleming’s emphasis, the Sharks execute with excessive persistence, their offense like a slow-moving tide. Advance, then pull again, till a gap is discovered and a participant crests via.

“We’ll get them out of form after which simply flip, rapidly stab at them,” Saruwatari mentioned.

They dominated possession in opposition to Centennial in a 3-0 win earlier this month. Fast-footed junior midfielder Krystal Medina, Saruwatari and Currier every scored.

Santiago’s system doesn’t change, Smith mentioned. The problem is to remain constant if you’re undefeated, as a result of, as Fleming is aware of — heading into the 2019-20 playoffs unranked earlier than knocking off beforehand unbeaten Upland — nothing is assured.

“We simply can’t let it get to us,” Currier mentioned.

There are different applications within the Southern Part are in pursuit, together with Santa Margarita and Temecula Valley.

Santa Margarita is led by first-year head coach Craig Bull. The Eagles are 11-0-2 and can face a troublesome Trinity League schedule down the stretch of the season. Junior ahead Religion George, who has dedicated to USC and likewise runs observe, is somebody to look at because the crew’s prime scorer.

Temecula Valley is the reigning Division I state champion and the Golden Bears (13-3-2) are again for an additional run. Final season’s Southern Part Division 1 participant of the yr, Natalie Mitchell, is now at Virginia Tech, however the Golden Bears nonetheless have a slew of expertise with senior Cal State Lengthy Seaside commit Zoe Willis and Air Pressure commit Annika Jost.

Orange County is as robust as ever with JSerra (9-1-3) and Villa Park (9-3-2) fielding usually robust groups. San Clemente (10-1-4) and Huntington Seaside (16-2-1) are additionally potential contenders.