Royal Keeps Top Billing in the City

SIMI VALLEY — Recently, there’s been little doubt whether Simi Valley High or cross-town rival Royal has been home to the town’s preeminent boys’ soccer program.

That honor belongs to Royal, with five Marmonte League titles and two Southern Section Division I championships in the past six seasons. But this season was to be Simi Valley’s turn in the spotlight.

It may yet be the Pioneers’ year, but they’ll have to make drastic improvements after being dominated by the Highlanders, 2-0, Friday in a league game at Simi Valley High.

“We played terribly and I don’t know why,” Simi Valley Coach Rob Looyen said after watching second-half goals by Dan Wilson and Jake Van Sloten sink his team.

“We seemed nervous at the start, but hand it to Royal, they were all over us.”

The Highlanders returned only four starters from last season’s Division I championship team and Coach Kevin Corley picked his team to finish third in the Marmonte League this season. Corley, and the majority of the circuit’s other coaches, picked Simi Valley to finish first.

Friday, the Pioneers (4-1, 0-1 in league play) were outplayed for all but about 15 minutes late in the first half. Royal (5-1, 2-0) simply cleared the ball out of its box with long kicks and then outworked its opponents for the loose ball.

Ten minutes into the second half, Wilson took a vertical pass from Van Sloten, and a step ahead of a defender, beat goalkeeper Pablo Grado with a shot into the upper right corner of the net.

Van Sloten sealed the victory with four minutes to play when, on a near identical play, he took a pass from Adin Waldrep and beat Pioneer reserve goalkeeper Chris Roberts to the upper right corner.

Wilson, an All-Southern Section Division I honoree last March, said that whereas last season’s Highlanders were known for their offensive prowess, this season’s team focuses first on defense.

“Everyone had us as underdogs coming into the season,” Wilson said. “But we play with patience and let teams work the ball around the outside, just not in front of our goal. Today we just wanted it more than they did.”

Wilson’s four goals last season is tops among Royal’s returning players, but the senior midfielder said he and others must improve on that output this season. Royal often relied on the combined 35 goals of seniors Kendall Simmonds and Brandon Kay in 1996-97.

“We lost a lot of scoring from last season but we know we have to spread it out this year,” Wilson said. “We’ve scored four goals the last two games and four different people got them.”

Looyen, whose team finished second in league last season and advanced to the second round of the Division I playoffs, emphasized that with 13 league games remaining, his team is far from out of the title hunt. Nonetheless, he questioned his players’ resolve.

“I can’t say anyone showed me they were ready to play,” Looyen said. “Maybe they’re so talented that the dedication just isn’t there.”

Simi Valley held a 6-5 shot advantage, with Royal having several attempts nullified by offsides calls. Seven yellow card warnings for rough play or dissent were issued by the officials, five to the Highlanders.

Simi Valley and Royal are 2-2-1 in the series’ last five games.