SANTA ANA – Despite Godinez scoring an early goal to take the lead, Kenneth Flores and his teammates on the Fullerton boys soccer team kept their composure Thursday evening.
Flores, a senior, scored the next two goals to lead Fullerton to a 2-1 victory in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Segerstrom High.
The victory sends Fullerton (18-3-2) to the second round for a game at top-seeded JSerra on Wednesday, Feb. 15. JSerra defeated Valencia 4-1 on Thursday.
The victory was the 350th in the career for Fullerton coach George Shumaker, who is in his 30th season as the team’s head coach.
“It sounds awesome,” Flores said of Shumaker’s 350 wins. “It’s cool to be a part of coach’s 350th win; 350 wins and we’re a part of that. It’s great, we’re a part of history.”
Postgame interview with Fullerton coach George Shumaker as his gets his 350th career victory in the Indians win over Godinez. @ocvarsity @1893_FUHSSPORTS @fullertonhigh @fjuhsd @FUHS_BSOC pic.twitter.com/GNij1zfTPS
— Manny Alvarez (@MAlvarez02) February 10, 2023
Godinez (15-5-6) took the lead in the third minute thanks to an unassisted goal from Daniel Pintor.
Fullerton tied the match with a Flores goal, off an assist from Aiden Bengard, in the 15th minute.
The match remained tied until the 66th minute when Flores scored his second goal.
Fullerton kept the lead the rest of the match thanks to a solid defense that face a late offensive attack by the Grizzlies.
“It was a tough game no matter what,” Flores said. “It’s always going to be a tough game. It wasn’t a big game for me, it was the whole team. The coaches and every single player on this team have a part of this.”
Postgame interview with Kenneth Flores of Fullerton. Flores with both goals for Fullerton as they advance to the second round. @ocvarsity @1893_FUHSSPORTS @fullertonhigh @fjuhsd @FUHS_BSOC pic.twitter.com/xR7oeGiF0Q
— Manny Alvarez (@MAlvarez02) February 10, 2023
Godinez, which took the Golden West League title this season, came close to tying the score late in the match, but the ball hit the top of the post.
“We started the game very well and took the game from them,” Godinez coach Ruben Fernandez said. “We scored the goal and had a couple of looks. We should have capitalized on the momentum.
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“We lost the ball in the middle of the transition. When you give him (Flores) space, he will finish and he finished really well. He had two chances and he put both of them away. This is Division 1, with the top 16 teams. We knew every game will be a battle. I think my guys played one of the best games defensively of the season.”
Declan Campbell had nine saves for Fullerton, which finished the regular season ranked No. 8 in Division 1.
“With 16 teams, they’re all going to be good,” Shumaker said of the playoffs. “We knew it would be a dogfight no matter who we draw. Luckily, we survived today and now we have to get ready and prepare for JSerra. They have a lot of offensive power. We just have to play our game and be ready.”
The Fullerton boys soccer team poses for a group photo after beating Godinez 2-1 in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs Thursday, Feb. 9. (Photo by Manny Alvarez, Contributor)