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Ukiah Excessive Faculty’s soccer group, taking part in in simply its third-ever North Coast Part title recreation, misplaced 32-21 to El Cerrito on Friday night time at American Canyon Excessive Faculty.
This was the Wildcats’ first look in a piece title recreation below head coach Paul Cronin, who took over this system three years in the past.
The sport didn’t begin properly for Ukiah, seeded fifth within the Division 3 bracket.
El Cerrito’s Mike Boyer scored a shifty landing on the opening kickoff, the place he reduce far left earlier than working again to the precise and scampering about 70 yards to the top zone to place the third-seeded Gauchos forward.
Ukiah was in a position to reply with a 19-yard landing run by junior working again Christopher Thompson. Since El Cerrito missed its additional level and the Wildcats made theirs, Ukiah led 7-6 — however the benefit didn’t final lengthy.
The Gauchos scored 13 straight factors to steer 19-7 on the half. Ukiah reduce the lead down to 5 within the third quarter earlier than El Cerrito broke away for good.
El Cerrito rushed for 145 yards and handed for 165 within the recreation. Gauchos vast receiver Gary Youngblood had a giant efficiency with 122 yards, together with two touchdowns (one for 90 yards) on 5 receptions.
“They performed tremendous onerous,” Cronin stated of his gamers afterward. “Love to scrub up the little issues technically that might have made us play a little bit bit higher, simply small issues, however whenever you get right into a recreation like that there’s lots of nerves to it.”
Regardless of the loss, the sport can function a stepping stone for the Ukiah program going ahead, the coach stated.
“The extra video games you play in like that, the higher you get in these video games,” Cronin stated. “What the seniors did for our underclassmen has paved the best way to be again there subsequent 12 months and be in that very same scenario and play a little bit bit extra exact with our eyes.”
Cronin stated this 12 months’s senior class performed a key function in constructing this system as a result of lots of them had been introduced as much as the varsity group as sophomores.
“It had been awhile since they’d gained persistently; we needed to carry guys up,” Cronin stated. “They got here up they usually’ve been part of two league championships, sections last runner-up and bought to the playoffs yearly.”
Wildcats gamers had been visibly emotional after the loss.
“It simply implies that they actually care,” Cronin stated.
This 12 months’s Ukiah squad, which shared the Redwood Empire Convention Bay division title with Maria Carrillo and St. Vincent, was in a position to determine methods to win shut video games, Cronin stated.
Cronin thought again to profitable his first part title at Cardinal Newman and in contrast that group to his present group.
“They’re nonetheless in my head as a result of they allowed for later success,” Cronin stated of that Newman group. “It’s cool to see it over once more now 20 years later.”
For Ukiah, it’s now time to show the web page to the 2026 season.
“It’s going to be a extremely thrilling 12 months for Ukiah soccer subsequent 12 months,” Cronin stated. “Proper now we’re in that spot of attempting to get to the highest.”
Cronin expects the Wildcats to have extra depth subsequent season than the final three years.
“I’m tremendous happy with the place this system is at proper now,” he famous.
Ukiah’s senior quarterback Beau David, who completed the sport 14-for-27 for 148 yards and two interceptions, stated he’s additionally excited for the way forward for Ukiah soccer, though he shall be graduating.
“It’s solely going to go up from right here,” David stated.
As for this season, David stated his group shocked him each week.
“We had a uneven preseason however we by no means gave up, and I feel this group has a lot combat in them and I feel that’s why we had been in a position to make it this far,” David stated. “I haven’t been extra happy with a gaggle of individuals than these guys proper right here.”
Thompson completed Friday’s recreation with 128 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns.
Thompson stated the Wildcats’ stretch run performs labored properly because of frequent follow.
“I used to be in a position to see holes and make the precise cuts,” he stated.
Thompson, who shall be returning subsequent 12 months for his senior season is happy for the long run.
“We’re going to overlook the seniors for positive subsequent 12 months, however I hope we will get some new guys, some JV guys to return up and play their hearts out, too,” Thompson stated.
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