DIVISION IV BOYS : Eagles Settle for a Share of First Title

Today, it’s medals and patches. Eventually, a duplicate Southern Section championship plaque.

That is the postseason fate of the Santa Margarita boys’ soccer team, which earned a Division IV co-championship by tying Corona Centennial, 1-1, Saturday at Gahr High School.

Not that the Eagles were complaining, though, about losing the postgame coin flip that gave Centennial the choice to take the championship team plaque over the individual medals and patches. Santa Margarita’s plaque is in the mail, and the Eagles have their first boys’ section team title in any sport in the school’s six-year history.

“We’ll take it (the co-championship),” Santa Margarita Principal Michael Harris said. “We’re happy puppies right now.”

Santa Margarita had every right to be happy after playing a solid 100 minutes against unbeaten and top-seeded Centennial (21-0-5). The game was scoreless after regulation, forcing a pair of 10-minute overtime periods.

The second-seeded Eagles (25-1-4) appeared destined for a second-place finish when Centennial’s Ruben Tavares scored on a remarkable play 3 minutes, 46 seconds into the first overtime.

Tavares, double-teamed in the left corner by Sean Novak and Dan Sparks, made a great fake to get around the defenders, then quickly dribbled within 12 yards of the goal. From a tough angle just off the goal line, Tavares booted the ball with his left foot over and around Santa Margarita goalkeeper Matt Reis into the upper right corner to give Centennial a 1-0 lead.

“That was just a great move and a great shot,” Eagle Coach Curt Bauer said. “There was nothing Matt could do.”

But Santa Margarita didn’t fold after falling behind. One minute, 36 seconds later, Jeff Maguire scored on a similar kick to Tavares’, tying the score.

Maguire’s goal came after Novak’s throw-in from the right sideline cleared the pack of players in the middle of the penalty area and bounced to Maguire on the left wing. Maguire then launched a left-footed shot of his own into the top right corner, leaving Centennial goalkeeper Rusty Haller with the same feeling Reis had moments earlier.

“We ran our corner kick play (on the throw-in), and we got almost the same kind of shot they got,” Bauer said. “When it went in, I said, ‘Touche, we’re even.’ ”

Maguire was an unlikely hero, having entered the game only when starting midfielder Mike Doria left in the second half with a leg injury. It was Maguire’s third goal of the season and Santa Margarita’s biggest.

So, it was a tie and a co-championship, and neither team believed afterward that it was more deserving of the victory. Centennial Coach John Stilwell offered the Eagles use of the championship plaque for the Santa Margarita team photograph, and both teams expressed respect for the other.

“This game proved that these are the top two teams in the division,” Stilwell said. “We both played like champions today.”