The Burroughs High boys’ soccer team moved up its CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoff opener by a day in order to avoid the pouring rain that is forecasted for Friday.
Luckily the Indians avoided the storm, but instead created one of their own for visiting Westminster by rolling in a 7-1 victory at Memorial Field.
“The boys played really well,” Burroughs coach Mike Kodama said. “I was very pleased because they (Westminster) got their goal right away and we came back and got another to put us back in control.”
Burroughs (18-4-4) will now play Feb. 22 against the winner of the Estancia-Paso Robles game that will be played Friday in Costa Mesa.
The Indians would host Estancia should it prevail, but would travel to Paso Robles.
Burroughs opened the scoring in just the third minute as Cameron Kelly got open on the right wing and was able to create space for a wide open William Rosales, who promptly put the ball in the net past goalie Carlos Rocha.
Westminster (9-7-3) gave Burroughs a temporary scare by tying things in the sixth minute on a goal from Anthony Bello.
Burroughs regained the lead in the 11th minute when freshman Carlos Rosales was able to beat Westminster’s offside trap before passing the ball to a streaking Richard Alonzo, who practically toe poked the ball into the right corner.
The Indians added a third goal right before halftime as a long throw-in by Kelley found Carlos Rosales at the back post. Rosales performed a scissors kick shot into the goal to make it 3-1.
Burroughs then poured things on early in the second half and were able to rest most of the starters in the end.
Erik Camarillo made it 4-1 in the 46th minute with a rifle shot on a free kick that went into the upper left corner of the goal.
Alonzo, a central defender, scored his second goal of the match in the 47th minute on an assist from Kelley who found him alone at the edge of the goal box.
Freshman David Gerlach also got into the action, scoring the first two goals of his high school career.
Gerlach scored in the 50th minute by putting home a loose ball that deflected off a Westminster defender.
But his second goal, which came in the 55th minute, was one to remember. With his back to the goal, Gerlach flicked a header on a long pass from Kelly into the upper right corner of the goal.
Kodama was glad he was able to go to his bench and liked what he saw.
“I think the guys that came in played really well,” he said. “We didn’t miss a beat.”
Alonzo was pleased with the win, but knows there is more work to do.
“We’re expecting to see a good team,” he said of the next playoff round.” Any team that has gotten this far has to be a good team. We’re just hoping to keep this drive going.”
