TUSSLE FOR THE TITLE— Freshman forward Walter Parra fights for possession against Cuyamaca. SWC won, 2-1, to clinch the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title. Photo by John Domogma
Maroon 5 may be a hot rock band, but Southwestern College’s Maroon 11 are the conference champions again.
For the second consecutive year Head Coach Cem Tont has led his squad to the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title, this time with an undefeated 10-0-2-conference record (15-3-3 overall).
“We are expected to be the top team,” said Tont. “Whenever we put on the maroon jersey we are the favorite to win the game and that’s the mindset that we have.”
A lot of maroon jerseys were pulled off and swung wildly in the air to celebrate a 2-1 win over the scrappy Cuyamaca College Coyotes. Forward Walter Parra scored his second goal of the season five minutes into the match on a difficult head-on play against Cuyamaca goalie Avrin Yakou.
“I felt very happy,” he said. “Not only for scoring the goal, but because I dedicated it to my mom who was watching in the audience.”
Midfielder Joseph Monzon authored the second goal 17 minutes into match when he took advantage of the goalie’s poor positioning. Cuyamaca defender Irvin Vorbon responded with a goal in the 26th minute in a comeback effort, but when the final whistle blew the 2-1 win officially clinched the Jaguars’ first back-to-back championship.
Friends and family swarmed the field.
“It is everyone’s victory,” said defender Andre Diaz. “I don’t believe in individual effort. We have an excellent coaching staff and I am thankful to everyone that came to support us today.”
The Coyotes were not the team’s only tough opponents though. The Jaguars proved again they are championship contenders by defeating San Diego City College, 2-0, while down two players.
“The City game was a pretty tough match up,” said Tont. “We got two red cards. We were down nine to 11 and then nine to 10, but we still outplayed them.”
SWC also ran over San Diego Mesa College thanks to a pair of unassisted goals by the conference’s second leading goal scorer Marco Carrillo-Leon. Forward Omar Hernandez scored another for a 3-0 win.
The Jags’ dominance continued against Imperial Valley, winning the series with an aggregate score of 7-1.
Diaz said SWC is determined to continue their dominant run that has convinced voters to rank the team fifth in the state.
“We are a little tired,” he said, “but we will fight until the last moment.”
