FULLERTON — Forwards Mathias Brown and Issac Morales have been doing their part to keep the Sunny Hills boys soccer team in the top spot in the Freeway League.
Brown, the returning CIF SS Division 3 Player of the Year, scored both of Sunny Hills’ goals and Morales had both assists in the Lancers’ 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Fullerton on Friday at Sunny Hills High School.
Sunny Hills’ Mathias Brown, left, and Zachary Cardona celebrate Brown’s goal during a Freeway League match against Fullerton at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Ryan Leitner slides to kick the ball away from Sunny Hills’ Issac Morales during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)`
Sunny Hills’ Mathias Brown, right, wins a header over Fullerton’s Luis Cervantes during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Luis Cervantes dribbles the ball past Sunny Hills defenders during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Sunny Hills’ Mathias Brown celebrates his goal during a Freeway League match against Fullerton at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Luis Cervantes shoots during a Freeway League match against Sunny Hills at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Luis Cervantes, right, celebrates his goal during a Freeway League match against Sunny Hills at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Sunny Hills’ Mathias Brown, right, wins a header over Fullerton’s Nathan Buehler during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Ryan Leitner slides to kick the ball away from Sunny Hills’ Mathias Brown during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)`
Sunny Hills head coach Mike Schade gives instructions to his players in the halftime during a Freeway League match against Fullerton at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Sunny Hills’ Nathan Cueva, right, dribbles past a tackle by Christian Chavoya during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton’s Nathan Buehler, left, and Sunny Hills’ Daniel Park vie for a header during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Sunny Hills’ Mathias Brown, left, dribbles the ball past Fullerton’s Heriberto Ponce, center, and Ryan Leitner during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Sunny Hills’ Mathias Brown, back, shoots over Fullerton’s Heriberto Ponce during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Sunny Hills head coach Mike Schade smiles after the team defeated Fullerton in a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
Fullerton head coach George Shumaker gives instructions during a Freeway League match at Sunny Hills in Fullerton on Friday, January 20, 2023. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
The storyline was exactly the same in the Lancers’ 2-0 victory over Sonora on Wednesday, with Brown scoring both goals and Morales getting both assists.
The victory, which comes in the first game of the second round of league play, keeps the undefeated Lancers (15-0-3, 6-0) alone in first place in the Freeway League.
The Indians (13-3-2, 4-2) came into the contest looking to avenge their 1-0 defeat against the Lancers in the first game of league play on Jan. 4. An Indians’ victory would have resulted in a tie for first between the teams.
“These games are the ones you don’t really have to coach in because the kids get themselves ready,” Sunny Hills coach Mike Schade. “As a coach, you can’t judge how bad they want it so it was definitely part of their plan today.”
The Indians opened the scoring in the 15th minute, when Luis Cervantes slipped into an open area, received a pass from Kenneth Flores and knocked the ball into the net.
Five minutes later, Morales was driving to the goal with the ball with Brown to his right.
When the defender covering Brown moved toward the ball, Morales tapped the ball over to Brown, who had a wide-open look and easily knocked the ball into the net to tie the score.
“I had all the time in the world,” Brown said. “So, I just made sure to put it away.”
Early in the second half, Morales sent a forward pass to Brown who sprinted past a defender and shot the ball into the goal.
The Lancers, winners of the 2022 CIF SS Division 3 championship, are ranked No. 2 behind JSerra in the Division 1/2 poll.
Fullerton is ranked No. 9 in the Division 1/2 poll.
The game was played with two referees because the third referee failed to show up.
“It was a hard-fought game,” Fullerton coach George Shumaker said. “It was a good game. Unfortunately we came out on the short end. We’ll get to play them again. We’d like to play them on a drier field with three referees. But that has nothing to do with it. They scored two goals and we only scored one.”
