At press time Wednesday, the St. Joseph boys soccer team was 3-7-3 overall going into its league game at Morro Bay that night.
However, in the games that count most, the Knights were 2-0-3 in the Ocean League, just behind league leaders Righetti and Santa Ynez after playing Nipomo to a 0-0 draw at St. Joseph’s Jay Will Stadium Tuesday night for the Knights’ third tie in league games.
After his team beat Righetti 1-0 at Righetti’s Warrior Stadium on a Blake Sheridan header in the second half Friday night, first-year St. Joseph coach Pedro Vargas said he’s not surprised at the team’s promising early start in the Ocean League campaign.
“The guys have worked hard in practice, and it’s paid off,” said Vargas. “We played a tough pre-season schedule and it prepared us for the league.”
Sheridan said, “I feel like this team can make a run,” in the Ocean League.
“The defense is holding it down pretty well, we’re working as a team.”
To stay in the mix in the race for the top, the Knights figure to have to show well during a busy week of league games this week. St. Joseph has a road game at Orcutt Academy Friday at 3 p.m
Sheridan is a junior who played at Righetti his freshman year before coming to St. Joseph. He has played varsity for two years there.
Just another game when it came to playing Righetti?, Sheridan was asked after he headed the ball in for the only goal of the game Friday night.
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No, Sheridan said, beating his former team was “really special.”
Sheridan scored on a Noah Carillo corner kick.
“At first I was just going to let it go,” Sheridan said afterward. “Then I decided I’d better go get it.”
Sheridan made the right choice. He put an authoritative header on the ball, and into the net it went for the only goal of the game.
After beating Bishop Diego 5-0 in their third game of the season for their first win, the Knights lost five straight and were shut out in all of them. Three of the losses were to Mountain League teams, Pioneer Valley, Arroyo Grande and Santa Maria.
Most Central Coast teams play in either the Mountain or Ocean League, and the Mountain League is considered the higher of the two. One loss in the five-game St. Joseph skid came against Dunn, a smaller school power in the CIF Southern Section. The Knights play in the Central Section.
Fullback Steven Pallan, a team captain, helps anchor a defense that has given up a total of three goals in four league games. Goalkeeper Angel Soto, another team captain, has been solid for the Knights since league play began.
After this week, the Knights will finish the first half of their league campaign with road games at Santa Ynez on Jan. 24 and at Templeton on Jan. 27. Both are slated for 6 pm starts.
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