SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – By their perhaps ridiculously high standards, JSerra’s boys soccer team did not play a perfect game Saturday.
“It’s pretty close,” said JSerra senior forward Jake Tatch.
The Lions beat Loyola 4-0 in the CIF Southern California Regional Division I championship game at JSerra High.
JSerra players celebrate with their trophy following their 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in front of their home crowd. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
The Lions celebrate a goal by forward Aquiles Rodriguez during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra midfielder Angel Reyes, right, beats Loyola midfielder Charlie McMillan to the ball during the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game between the two teams on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Gavin Allegaert takes a shot on goal on a corner kick during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra players celebrate their 4-0 win following the final whistle in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in front of their home crowd. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Gavin Allegaert takes a shot on goal during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Aquiles Rodriguez takes a shot at the goal during the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra players celebrate their 4-0 win following the final whistle in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in front of their home crowd. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Gavin Allegaert, right, and Loyola defender Diego Ayala-Martinez race for the ball during the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Aquiles Rodriguez shoots and scores one of the Lion’s 4 goals during the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra coach Erik Kirsch accepts the team’s trophy following their 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Gavin Allegaert controls the ball during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Gavin Allegaert takes a shot on goal during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra midfielder Hudson Garner takes a shot on goal during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra midfielder Brody Martinez makes a drive at the goal during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra midfielder Jake Tatch crosses the ball during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Gavin Allegaert, right, takes a shot on goal during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra forward Gavin Allegaert heads the ball at the goal on a crossed pass during a 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
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JSerra players celebrate with their trophy following their 4-0 win in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game against Loyola on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in front of their home crowd. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra beat Loyola 2-0 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship game on Feb. 28.
It is the second regional title for the Lions in the past three years. They won a regional championship in 2023. That team finished 20-1-1 and was the CIF-SS Division 1 champion.
JSerra finished this season 20-0-1. The Lions outscored their opponents 71-10. They won their two other regional playoffs games by 4-0 scores, too, over San Diego’s Del Norte and St. Augustine.
Loyola went 22-2-4, with its only losses to the Lions.
JSerra senior Gavin Allegaert was involved in all four of his team’s goals. Allegaert, who signed with UC San Diego, scored one goal with three assists. The other Lions goals were scored by Jake Tatch, Aquiles Rodrigues and Angel Reyes.
Lions coach Erik Kirsch was asked if his team played a complete game Saturday.
“The German part of me says ‘No,’” Kirsch said. “The love as a dad for them says ‘Yes.’ Because I could always pick things out that they can be better at. But in terms of where we are in the season, the tiredness …I can’t ask for more.”
JSerra scored its first goal 15 minutes into the first half.
Tatch made a perfect pass to Allegaert, who was a few yards in front of the left post. Allegaert controlled the ball with two defenders on him. Tatch came sprinting in, Allegaert rolled the ball to Tatch who got it in stride and drilled the ball to the left of diving goalkeeper Christopher Stillwell for the goal and a 1-0 lead.
The Lions scored their second goal in the 27th minute. This time it was Allegaert who made the perfect pass, getting the ball to Rodriguez, who rolled the ball past Stillwater for a 2-0 lead.
Tatch did much of the work to set up JSerra’s third goal in the 46th minute. He maneuvered the ball away from a Loyola defender and passed to Reyes in front of the goal. Reyes, in great position to take a shot, instead passed to Allegaert, who had a wide open right-half of the goal and rolled it there for a 3-0 lead.
Reyes scored easily on a rebound of an Allegaert shot in the 54th minute to make it 4-0.
A minute later Lions goalkeeper Liam Johnston made his best save of the game, leaping to deflect a shot up and over the crossbar. He had made a great save in the 2-0 win over Loyola, thwarting a shot that would have tied it but kept JSerra on top 1-0.
JSerra’s defense was excellent again Saturday. The back-row players often controlled the ball deep in their own end instead of just settling for clearing it from there.
Tatch, who signed with Michigan, said the key to JSerra’s success was its special group of teammates.
“It’s a team full of warriors,” Tatch said. “A team of great guys who would die for each other. I’ve never been on a team that’s been closer.”
