LAKE FOREST — Many teams that make the jump up to the South Coast League from the Sea View League struggle in their first season playing against better competition.
That was not the case for El Toro’s boys soccer team this season.
The Chargers dominated San Clemente 6-0 on Monday to win the South Coast League championship.
El Toro (18-2-5, 6-1-1) won the Sea View League last season and had most recently won the South Coast League in 2017. The two teams entered Monday tied atop the league standings and El Toro won the first meeting between the teams 3-2.
“This group is really special,” El Toro coach Kyle Pizano said. “They have bought in, love each other and it shows on the field. I don’t think anybody has beaten San Clemente 6-0 before.”
Pizano, who played for El Toro and went on to play at Cal Baptist and Hope International, said he knew this team could be special prior to its first game this season.
“We have 21 seniors out of 28 players and there’s a lot of experience on this team with guys who have leadership capabilities in them,” Pizano said. “All I had to do was delegate and let the boys lead themselves.”
San Clemente (8-5-2, 5-2-1) won the South Coast League the last two seasons.
The Tritons hadn’t lost a game by six goals dating back beyond 2006 when MaxPreps began keeping track of scores. The Triton’s biggest margin of defeat prior to Monday was a four-goal loss to Tesoro in 2009.
Gianluca D’Amato had three goals for El Toro. It was the second time he has scored three goals in a game this season. D’Amato has 23 goals on the season, which is tied for the most in Orange County.
“He has some raw talent and has been a captain for the last three years so the boys trust him,” Pizano said of D’Amato.
Alexander Davis scored the first goal of the game for El Toro in the 31st minute from 30-yards out after San Clemente successfully defended a corner kick.
San Clemente’s defense tried to clear the ball out of the zone and Davis sailed a shot over the goalkeeper’s head to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead.
D’Amato scored in stoppage time at the end of the first half to give El Toro a 2-0 lead at halftime.
San Clemente had its best scoring opportunity early in the second half. Spencer Dirpes passed to a wide-open Koa Trager, who had a one-on-one opportunity against El Toro goalkeeper Jackson Richardson. Richardson made a diving save to keep the shutout intact.
El Toro’s defense has allowed just one goal in its last four games and has 12 shutouts this season.
Richardson had six saves Monday and was aided by his defense, which featured Davis, Braden Dean, James Mueller and Jordan Chavez.
“Jackson is a heck of a keeper. He catches anything inside his box and is a presence back there,” Pizano said. “Our center back, James Mueller, has played around 1,500 minutes this season, which is just insane. It’s a senior back line and they’ve done so much for us.”
D’Amato scored twice in the second half. He scored a goal by beating a San Clemente defender one-on-one and he scored the other via a header.
Hutchinson Whitko and Troy Tedtaotao also scored in the second half with Whitko assisting another goal.
Both teams are automatic qualifiers for the playoffs that begin next week. El Toro is ranked No. 14 in the latest CIF-SS rankings and San Clemente is ranked No. 23.