Santa Barbara boys soccer head coach Todd Heil was named co-coach of the year in Division II for turning a young, mostly inexperienced Dons team into a championship contender, it was announced by CIF.
Heil, who shares the award with Bell Gardens’ Orlando Brenes, coached Santa Barbara to a 23-3-3 record and guided the Dons on a semifinal run in the postseason that ended with a 1-0 loss to Orange County’s Valencia.
Much of the success can be attributed to the Dons’ defense, led by first-team goalkeeper Emmanuel Angulo. Second-team selection Reynaldo Marcos Lopez was part of a defense that helped Angulo record 19 shutouts on the season while allowing just .484 goals per game over the course of the winter.
The Laguna Blanca girls soccer team was recognized for its most successful season in school history. The Owls reached the Division VII semifinals, but will lose first-team selection Monica Beltran and second teamer Nikki Byrne to graduation. The bright news is that first-team midfielder Erin Stone and second-team forward McKenzie Scarborough – freshman – will be back to give it another go next year.
Santa Barbara’s offense was pretty good too, as Peter Aguilar and Christian Pardo were named to the third team as forwards. Jesse Gonzalez, who led the Dons with 11 goals and 31 points, took second-team honors.
The San Marcos boys team, which fought to take third in the Channel League behind juggernauts Ventura and Santa Barbara, has one representative on the third team, junior midfielder Michael Gallop.
