The Santa Barbara High boys soccer team is one win away from capturing the title at Southern California’s most prestigious high school tournament.
The Dons, now 12-0, defeated Palos Verdes 2-1 and Loyola 1-0 on Tuesday to advance to Wednesday’s championship match at the South Torrance Tournament. Todd Heil’s squad last won the title in 1999.
“It would be huge for us to win this tournament,” said Heil, whose team lost to Loyola 2-1 in the finals last year.
Sanford Spivey’s impressive vertical leap was responsible for the first goal of the day, as he headed in a Jesse Gonzalez corner kick in the sixth minute of the first game to put the Dons up 1-0. Palos Verdes tied it in the 49th, but Jose Alfaro buried the winner in the 51st. It was the defender’s first goal of the season.
Senior Blake Heller scored his first goal of the season in the 38th minute against Loyola — the No. 3 team in Division I — from the top of the box, and it was all the Dons would need.
Heil credited the back line of Alfaro, Brian Joseff, Marcos Lopez and Spencer Pritchard for “two monstrous games.”
Kickoff for the championship match is set for 3 p.m.
