Reseda’s Offense Simmering in 2-1 Final Victory Over Hart

Since 1995, eight Reseda High boys’ soccer players have gone on to play in college. Two have played professionally and three others were selected junior college All-Americans.

William Sims believes he’s better than all of them.

Sims will get Hart’s vote.

Dribbling past defenders at will and dazzling them with his crafty and skillful play, the junior scored Reseda’s goals in a 2-1 victory in the championship game of the Hart tournament on Thursday.

“‘We are still one of the teams to beat,” said Coach Julio Castillo of Reseda (9-2-1), which also won the Hart tournament in 1998. “This is a young group of kids. Most of these kids have never experienced something like this.”

Sims scored the winning goal in the 64th minute on an off-balance shot that was partially blocked by goalkeeper Kyle Reynish.

Hart planned to play conservatively to slow the Regents’ high-powered offense, but that changed when Todd Wood’s shot from 40 yards gave the Indians (8-4-2) a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into the game.

Hart gained confidence and began to play more offensively. Sims tied the score three minutes later.

“When I go one-on-one I can blow by defenders easy, especially when they give me a lot of space,” said Sims, whose 15 goals account for half of the Regents’ offense. “They didn’t mark me that tight.”