Pitman High hosted Merced High on Saturday afternoon, February 14, for Round 1 of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II Boys Soccer Playoffs. The Pitman Pride entered the game ranked as a three seed while the Bears were seeded fourteenth.
The game started with Pitman controlling the ball, putting pressure on Merced’s defense and creating scoring opportunities right away. Johan Montes, Merced’s goalkeeper, made some savvy saves to keep the Bears in it. Soon thereafter, a breakthrough came for the Bears when Alexander Castaneda scored the first goal for Merced around the 19-minute mark, giving them a brief spark. Pitman, however, quickly responded, with Alex Vasquez tapping in a goal to tie it up, followed shortly by Noah Shamoon’s strike that put Pride back on top. Merced picked up a yellow card during the first half as the game intensified. Both teams had multiple opportunities to add their score, but Merced’s shots couldn’t find the goal, while Pitman fired theirs just over the net. At halftime, Pitman led 2-1.
The second half was even more intense as both teams fought to control the ball. Merced had chances to tie the game but couldn’t manage to get past the Pride’s goalie. With less than 20 minutes left in the game, tensions grew when a Merced player was given a red card, leaving the Bears down a key player, and forcing them to adjust their strategy quickly. Injuries also began with less than 10 minutes left in the game, with one Merced player taking a serious injury to his knee. Despite the setbacks, Merced kept pressing, but Pitman continued to hold them off. The final minutes were back-and-forth, but neither team could score again, and after over four minutes of stoppage time, the whistle blew with Pitman winning the game 2-1.
Pitman senior defender Alex Vasquez reflected on the win after the game, emphasizing, “It meant a lot. It’s a young team, and this win is gonna help us in the next playoff game.” Vasquez added, “I feel like we could have improved on our finishing. We had a lot of chances that we missed …We just need to go into practice with intensity and go into the next game with a good mindset.” Despite the missed chances, he highlighted the positives, pointing out that their team created opportunities and stayed composed under pressure when it mattered most.
Merced senior defender Isais Hernandez reflected on the season and the game, sharing what it meant to him as a senior. “…it’s the end of a chapter, and I feel that this is something I need to reflect on, this doesn’t last forever, and don’t take it for granted.” Hernandez also talked about giving his best, despite the loss, “I feel like I did my best. I did my job, and that’s just how it came out to be.”
This win for Pitman advances them to the next round of the playoffs, where they will host the Whitney Wildcats. Merced’s season comes to an end with a respectable 9-8-4 record. For Pitman, the victory was an important step forward in the postseason and a boost as they head into their next matchup on February 17, at 6:00pm.
Photos by Grace Gallegos.
