Santa Barbara High’s Todd Heil recorded his 300th win on Saturday.
Santa Barbara High’s 4-0 victory on Saturday was more than just another win. It marked the 300th triumph for Todd Heil as head coach of the Dons, a milestone not often reached in high school athletics.
Heil reached the 300-win plateau early in his 15th season as head coach. In that time, Heil has led the program to two CIF Southern Section championships and a CIF SoCal Regional title. He was named the Far West Region Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Heil said it was a testament to the talent that he’s had to work with over the years.
“In my 15 years, what comes to mind is just all the great players we’ve had here. To?think of the number of seasons we’ve averaged 20 wins. It’s amazing.”
Saturday’s win over Riverside Prep put the Dons in the semifinals of the Palmdale Falcon Classic. The Dons were then defeated by Eastside 1-0 in the semis on a cold, windy day in the high desert.
The loss to Eastside ended a streak of three-straight shutouts by the Santa Barbara defense. Eastside prevailed despite getting outshot by Santa Barbara 12-2. The Lions recorded their goal in the 10th minute.
In the first game, Pepe Barron scored twice. Peter Ruiz contributed a goal and an assist while Jumoke Hutton finalized the scoring in the 35 minute of a 50-minute contest. Two of the Dons’ goals were opportunistic plays on corner kicks.
The Dons return to the pitch on Wednesday at Arroyo Grande. Their home opener is on Tuesday, December 17 against Santa Ynez.
