High School Soccer : Bonita Vista Looks for Biggest Upset Yet

The Bonita Vista High School boys’ soccer team has advanced to tonight’s San Diego Section 3-A semifinals with two straight upsets.

But standing in Bonita Vista’s way tonight isn’t just another favored team--it’s top-seeded Valhalla, the county’s only undefeated team.

Bonita Vista (14-6-1) will play Valhalla (21-0-1) at 7:30 p.m. In the other 3-A boys’ semifinal game, Palomar League teams Torrey Pines (18-6-0) and second-seeded San Dieguito (17-2-2) will play at 5:30. Both games are at Hilltop High School.

In the girls’ 3-A semifinals at Torrey Pines High School, top-seeded and defending co-champion (with Valhalla) Bonita Vista (23-2-0) plays Granite Hills (16-5-2) at 5:30 and No. 2 Torrey Pines (20-2-1) faces San Dieguito (14-5-5) at 7:30.

After a Feb. 4 postgame fight with Montgomery, Sweetwater Union High School District Supt. Anthony Trujillo ordered both the Montgomery and Bonita Vista soccer programs shut down for the season. As a result, Bonita Vista forfeited its final four games. Trujillo subsequently changed his ruling, and so far, the Barons have taken advantage of it.

In the first round, Bonita Vista, seeded 11th, defeated host and fifth-seeded Helix, 1-0. In the quarterfinals, the Barons upset host and fourth-seeded Serra, 2-1, in two overtimes.

Bonita Vista Coach Jerry Hombs is concerned with his team’s stamina after playing Serra.

“It was a long, long game,” Hombs said. “We’re physically tired. I figure our halfbacks ran about 10 miles against Serra.”

To beat Valhalla, the defending co-champions with Poway, Hombs said his team will have to be sharp on the transition.

“Valhalla transitions from defense to offense better than anyone in the county,” Hombs said. “We’ll have to try to control the ball and slow the game down.”

The 2-A boys’ and girls’ semifinals will be played Wednesday. In the boys’ bracket, defending champion University City (14-5-2) plays second-seeded Ramona (19-3-1) at 5:30, followed by St. Augustine (14-4-4) and La Jolla (17-3-2). St. Augustine, which upset top-seeded San Diego on penalty kicks, 1-0, in the quarterfinals. Both games are at Hilltop High School.

In the girls’ semifinals at Torrey Pines, Ramona (16-3-2) plays No. 2 University City (17-2-2) at 5:30, followed by No. 1 and defending champion San Pasqual (20-2-1) and University of San Diego High School (16-6-1) at 7:30.