St. Francis Puts Words Into Action, Advance

Pete Vagenas had only three words to say: “Keep working hard.”

Coach Glen Appels of St. Francis High asked the player who led the Golden Knights to a Southern Section title five years ago to address the team before a Division IV quarterfinal Friday.

Vagenas, now a member of the Galaxy, apparently is a man of action.

So was St. Francis in a 4-0 victory over Santa Paula on Friday in La Canada- Flintridge. St. Francis (23-3-4), which tied the school record for victories set by Vagenas’ team in 1996, face Estancia in a semifinal Tuesday.

“I think the kids all really respect what Pete has done,” Appels said. “Part of the reason these kids are here is because of how well Pete’s team did.

“The guys were focused to win this game. We knew Santa Paula was a top-10 team, and if we played hard we had a good chance to win. Four goals in a quarterfinal game is a good day at the office.”

With Santa Paula (17-7-2) clearly exhausted from a overtime win over Blair on Thursday, the Golden Knights took advantage early, pressuring the Cardinals and winning almost every loose ball.

“With some of the hits we took Thursday it was hard to play 100%,” Santa Paula Coach Manny Elizarraraz said. “It’s hard on the kids physically. I’m proud of the kids. They showed a lot of heart. We have to enjoy and cherish how far we came.”

St. Francis scored less than two minutes into the game. Daniel Marco dribbled untouched before slipping a shot to the left of goalkeeper Jeremy Jimenez, who abandoned the goal to challenge Marco.

With the Golden Knights controlling play in the first half, Santa Paula was limited to one shot. The Cardinals played with confidence the first 15 minutes of the second half, but St. Francis forward Phil Weinberg dribbled down the sideline past two defenders and scored from 10 yards in the 55th minute for a 2-0 lead.

The Golden Knights extended their lead four minutes later when Ryan Shaw took a pass on the left wing and crossed the ball into the goal box to Marco, who blasted a shot into the back of the net.

Shaw capped the scoring on a goal with eight minutes remaining.

The Cardinals were successful mounting a few attacks late in the game, but consistent physical play from the Golden Knights kept them from scoring.

“We were just physically stronger,” Appels said. “We knew how good they were when they had time, so we wanted to pressure them.”