Islas Is Acquiring a Feel for the Game : Soccer: After getting accustomed to the sport, sophomore’s long-range shooting has provided Santa Ana Valley with a winning feeling.

There’s a look Francisco Islas gets when he describes the act of scoring goals. It’s a confused scowl, with a wry smile.

“It’s difficult to explain,” Islas said. “You see the ball go in the net, and everyone mobs you. You can’t breathe for a second, but you feel great. Really, the only way you can know this feeling is by scoring a goal.”

Islas knows it very well. He had it 27 times last season, as he led Santa Ana Valley High School into the Southern Section playoffs for the first time in three years.

It was a whirlwind finish for the Falcons, who qualified for the 3-A playoffs by winning two matches on the last day of the season. They then knocked off El Toro and upset Cerritos, the top-seeded team, before losing to Long Beach Millikan in the semifinals.

It was Islas who pushed and prodded them down that road. He scored nine goals in the final five matches.

His streak gave the Falcons that winning feeling, which has continued this season.

“No one player is going to do it for you,” Santa Ana Valley Coach Adnan Bayati said. “But Francisco is as close as it comes. He’s an incredible player. The first time I saw him, I thought, ‘This kid is something special.’ ”

Only Bayati knew that at the start of last season.

Islas was just a lanky freshman with raw ability when the season began. Few noticed him through the nonleague matches. And if they took note at all, they were inclined to think he was stoppable.

All that changed when league play began. Islas began racking up goals quickly, and the Falcons became a factor in the league race.

His ability to score from long range made him especially difficult to defend.

“Most kids like to dribble the ball in and try to make a spectacular play,” Orange Coach Ed Carrillo said. “Francisco will just pull up and shoot. You have to guard him closely.”

Orange learned that lesson the hard way. Carrillo could only watch as Islas scored two goals to lead the Falcons to a victory on the final day of the regular season. It cost the Panthers the league title.

It was the second match Santa Ana Valley had played that day. In the morning, the Falcons had defeated Villa Park. Islas had two goals in that match as well.

“He’s definitely one of the dominant players in the county,” Foothill Coach Barry Turner said. “He’s so creative, he can change a match. He’ll pull up from 35 feet and, all of a sudden, the ball is in the net. No one was ready for him last season.”

They are this season, but the results have been much the same.

Teams have been intent on knocking Islas around. He’s been marked a little tighter and pushed around a lot more.

It hasn’t worked thus far. Islas already has six goals, plus three assists, in five matches. And Santa Ana Valley is 4-0-1 and ranked seventh in the Orange County soccer poll.

“In a way, it’s a compliment that everyone is on me now,” Islas said. “It shows they respect me. But I’d rather no one knew me still.”

No one did when he arrived at Santa Ana Valley. He had only played soccer for two years and was still learning the sport.

Islas had always dreamed of scoring goals as a kid. Lots of them, but in basketball, not soccer. While his friends were kicking a soccer ball around, he was runnin’ and gunnin’.

“ Everyone I knew was playing soccer,” Islas said. “They would ask me to play, but I told them I didn’t like the sport. I really didn’t think it was so bad, but I lied so they would leave me alone. I just wanted to play basketball.”

And he might have continued to follow that course had not fate interceded.

Islas was playing basketball one day after school when the soccer coach sent for him. His junior high team had a match scheduled that day, but was short one player. They begged Islas to play, and he relented.

Unaccustomed to the sport, he free-lanced up and down the field. His natural ability impressed everyone, especially the coach.

“He told me I had a spot on the team if I wanted it,” Islas said. “It was actually kind of fun, so I agreed.”

A week later, he scored his first goal.

“I was hooked,” he said. “I never experienced anything like that.”

Bayati recognized Islas’ ability immediately and placed him on the varsity. Although he struggled at times, he produced goals.

“He was so-so through the preseason,” Bayati said. “Sometimes he wouldn’t move well. But once he got accustomed to the high school level, he played great.”

The playoffs brought more success for Islas. He scored two goals in a first-round victory over El Toro. He then had two more as the Falcons shocked Cerritos, 3-2.

Santa Valley trailed, 2-0, at halftime in that match. Islas knocked in a header early in the second half and, a few minutes later, scored from 30 yards out to tie the score.

“We didn’t get demoralized,” Islas said. “We knew we could come back. When I scored that first goal, I threw my arms up, and the guys tackled me. It was a great feeling.”