Kaiser boys' soccer edges Harbor View in Daily Pilot Cup opener

1/8

Costa Mesa Kaiser Elementary’s Dereck Torres, right, gets high-fives from his teammates after scoring a goal against Corona del Mar Harbor View in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Division pool-play match at Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

2/8

Corona del Mar Harbor View Elementary’s Jackson Vanderveen, center, high-fives teammates after scoring a goal against Costa Mesa Kaiser in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Division pool-play match on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

3/8

Corona del Mar Harbor View Elementary’s James Warren, left, battles for control of a ball with Kaiser’s Jeremiah Kearns in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Division pool-play match on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

4/8

Corona del Mar Harbor View Elementary’s Mason Bryant, left, and Costa Mesa Kaiser’s Thomas McDaniel battle for a ball in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Division pool-play match on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

5/8

Corona del Mar Harbor View Elementary’s Pierce Barzi, left, and Costa Mesa Kaiser’s Dereck Torres battle for control of the ball in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Division pool-play match on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

6/8

Costa Mesa Kaiser Elementary’s Thomas McDaniel leaps over the outstretched foot of Corona del Mar Harbor View’s Mason Bryant in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Division pool-play match on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

7/8

Corona del Mar Harbor View Elementary’s Jackson Vanderveen, center, attempts to get around Costa Mesa Kaiser goalkeeper Quinten Villegas in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Division pool-play match on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

8/8

Costa Mesa Kaiser Elementary’s Dereck Torres, left, scores a goal against Corona del Mar Harbor View in a Daily Pilot Cup boys’ third- and fourth-grade Silver Divison pool-play match on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

By Scott French

May 28, 2019 9:34 PM PT

Jack Starnes guided two teams into title games and another to the semifinals last year at the Daily Pilot Cup soccer tournament.

This year he’s looking to go one step further with one, or both, of the Costa Mesa Kaiser Elementary School teams he’s coaching, and his third- and fourth-grade boys’ team sure looked like a possibility in its opener Tuesday evening.

Thomas McDaniel assisted the first goal and netted the winner, Darian Leyva provided a strong midfield foundation and cleared three dangerous balls, at least one of them goal-bound, and fill-in goalkeeper Quentin Villegas made the difference for the Knights in a 2-1 Silver Division pool-play victory over Corona del Mar Harbor View at Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa.

“It’s probably my favorite week of the year,” said Starnes, a Newport Harbor High junior who played for Kaiser in the tournament, started working with the Knights’ teams when he was in eighth grade, and has coached the past three years. “Seeing all these kids have fun, it’s the most fun time of the year, and I love giving back to them, too.

“You learn a lot from coaching, as well as playing, and what I liked when I was when I was a player that Newport Harbor players would coach [Pilot Cup teams]. It was fun seeing them, and I thought I could do that when I grew up. Here I am now.”

Starnes, who also is coaching his Costa Mesa-based alma mater’s fifth- and sixth-grade silver team, had the fifth- and sixth-grade silver boys and bronze boys in last year’s finals, but both lost on penalties. His younger team this year, defending Silver champions, has plenty going for them, especially with McDaniel and Dereck Torres up front and Leyva a force in the middle.

Villegas was an unknown quantity.

“He’s not even our main goalie,” Starnes said. “Our main goalie didn’t show up today, so Quentin stepped up, he went in goal, and he did a great job. Probably keep him in goal.”

Villegas played a high line, closer to the top of the 18-yard box than to his goal line, and that shortened the field for Harbor View’s attackers. He dominated his area, continually taking balls off opponents’ feet and getting to balls before the Vikings could run onto them.

“I think they did a good job in setting up their defense, and their goalkeeper came out just when he should have,” Harbor View coach Bobby Barzi said. “He did a good job of clearing it before we had the chance to take a shot.”

Torres provided a lead after just five minutes, finishing a feed from McDaniel, a diminutive third-grader with skill and vision. Jackson Vanderveen pulled Harbor View even just before halftime and moments after Leyva cleared a ball out of the goalmouth.

It’s probably my favorite week of the year. Seeing all these kids have fun, it’s the most fun time of the year, and I love giving back to them, too.

— Jack Starnes, Kaiser Elementary coach

The game was tight throughout, with several momentum swings, but Kaiser netted the winner with about 11 minutes to go. Leyva picked up a ball in midfield, pressed forward and scooped it over the backline for McDaniel, his teammate at the Strikers FC youth club.

McDaniel beat a defender, then slid the ball under goalkeeper Walker Swick and inside the right post.

The difference, Leyva said, was “we tried harder, we got to the ball first, we worked as a team.”

Leyva’s presence was huge.

“He’s our leader,” Starnes said. “He plays great defense and midfield, shows everyone else, and once everyone saw his tackles, they wanted to do the same thing, so they played just as hard.”

How well did the Knights play?

“We played really well,” Leyva said, “but we could have played better.

“I think we can go pretty far this year.”