CARLSBAD — A resurgence is taking hold on the pitch.
The Sage Creek boys soccer team is finally finding its way after four years of being the league doormat. Under the guidance of first-year coach Neal Keith, the Bobcats had their first winning record as they entered league play last week.
Keith, who came over from traditional power Carlsbad High School after four years as an assistant, has instituted a calm energy displaying leadership and focus, traits the kids are feeding on.
Prior to his arrival, Sage Creek had won just four games in the previous two years and didn’t manage one league victory. Now, the Bobcats have collected five wins in the first part of the season.
And last week marked another program milestone — Sage Creek won its first-ever league match with a 2-1 win over San Dieguito Academy on a 20-yard volley from junior Gavin Goddard with five minutes left in the game.
“We had a big turn,” Keith said. “I think organization is huge. It had been a bit unorganized. I was able to copy everything we did at Carlsbad, even though you hate to do it. This is the first year we actually have a large senior class. My philosophy is learn from every situation.”
Through Keith’s approach, his players’ confidence is growing match by match. They currently stand at 6-3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Avocado West league, although the Bobcats did drop two matches.
Sage Creek also managed to win its first tournament in school history earlier this year taking home the title at the So Cal High School Classic Elite division.
On the pitch, however, senior Kevin Cooke, the team’s leading scorer with seven goals, leads the team. Senior Daniel Moran has added one goal and four assists, while junior midfielder Titus Washington has two goals and a team-leading seven assists.
Keith said Washington has added another dimension for the Bobcats with his ability to jump-start the offense and launch counter attacks. Goalkeepers Owen Damitz, a junior, and Jacob McKibben, a senior, have a combined for three shutouts this season.
Cooke said senior leadership has been a difference this season. Last year, one senior was on the roster compared to nearly 10 this season.
Also, Sage Creek, which opened in 2013, just graduated its first senior class last year, so the days of going up against top-ranked opponents with just sophomores or juniors are over.
“All the kids as sophomores and freshmen have been playing varsity for three or four years,” junior Jet Trask said.
“Another big thing has been the coaching,” Washington added. “Neal came in with a bunch of energy. He had a will to coach us and it’s paid off and now we are winning games.”
However, the Avocado West league is one of the toughest divisions in the state, if not the country, Keith said. Traditional powers Torrey Pines (12-0-0 overall, 1-0-1 league), Canyon Crest Academy (11-1-2, 1-0-1), La Costa Canyon (8-2-3, 2-0-0) and Carlsbad (4-3-3, 0-2-0) make for a gauntlet, especially since most are nationally ranked.
Sage Creek started league play last week with a loss to La Costa Canyon followed by the Jan. 19 win against San Dieguito Academy (2-4-5, 0-2-2).
Regardless of the talent and tradition of the other schools, Cooke and company feel they have the talent to compete, as does their new coach.
“We got the hardest league in California,” Keith said. “I’m thinking we are going to be competitive, I honestly do. If we come together as a team, we should be competitive in every single one of those games.”
