Del Oro girls' soccer wins fourth section title in school history

Many residents know the old Bear Bryant quote, "Defense wins championships." That statement couldn't have been more true on Wednesday night when the Del Oro High girls' soccer team won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship with a 1-0 win over St. Francis High. The win was the fourth in school history and the first since 2016 when the Lady Eagles won their third consecutive title. "This was our goal," Golden Eagles coach Megan Harris said. "Last year, we had a pretty good year and with the returning players, our goal was to win it this year. We had a big team dinner last night and they were pumped up and ready to finish it today. I'm excited for them." Del Oro High has only given up nine goals all season and have been led by junior goalkeeper Gray Willson, who didn't concede a single goal in the section playoffs. "A lot of us play together in club season as well, so we are used to playing with one another," Willson said. "In practice, we do work a lot defensively shifting as a team. It definitely helps that we are a talkative group on and off the field and we have each other's backs on our defensive line." Willson had nine saves in Wednesday's game, including an acrobatic save in the second half where she tipped the ball over the crossbar. "I've always been taught that as soon as I see the striker set her foot plant is when I need to set and get ready," Willson said. In the semifinals game against Woodcreek High last Friday, the Lady Eagles scored in the second half from a free kick by junior Mateja Lisac. In Wednesday's game, the Golden Eagles got their goal early in the eighth minute from a breakaway finish by junior Kiana Faucette, her 10th goal of the season. "It's definitely great to go up and it gives you a sense of security," Willson said. "We still had a full game left and did still want to go forward but it gave us more confidence to keep going." One aspect that makes the title win even more impressive is that the Lady Eagles only have three seniors on their 22-person roster that also includes eight juniors, 10 sophomores and a freshman. "That is what is really exciting," Harris said. "They are a big family and they work hard for each other. It's a good group." The Golden Eagles will now get the opportunity to chase after another title, the NorCal Championship, as the playoffs start next Tuesday. The brackets for NorCals are scheduled to be released on Sunday. "We just need to play our game and stick to what we work on at training," Harris said. "My motto all year has been to play our game and that is what we've done."