Poly IVL Champs, 3rd Undefeated season in program history.....
Riverside Poly defeated Riverside North, 4-1, on Monday to finish with a 19-0-7 overall record in 2012-’13.The Riverside Poly boys soccer team wrapped up the third unbeaten season in school history with a 4-1 victory over Riverside North on Monday.
Mario Padilla, Rob Morales, Gabe Jacques and Uly De La Cal all scored in the first half as the Bears (19-0-7 overall, 9-0-3 Inland Valley) completed their inaugural season in the IVL as the league’s champion, the Tom Tilson Classic champion and the only unbeaten team in CIF-Southern Section Division 1.
“We accomplished the things we wanted to do. We won our tournament, we won league, and it’s a rare opportunity to make history,” head coach Alex Figueroa said.
Starters sat in the second half as the Bears celebrated history.
“It was a real treat for the starters, with so many individual honors, to be cheering and rooting for the other guys,” Figueroa said. “There was a lot of happiness and team spirit tonight.”
All three goalkeepers – Jesus Meza, Juan Negrete and Cruz Guillen – played for Poly, which allowed just 14 goals and won eight of its last 10 games.
“It was basically, not just congratulations but I let them know who proud I am through all the obstacles and adversity they were able to overcome. And hopefully the best is yet to come,” Figueroa said. “It’s a great accomplishment, history that no one can take it away, but we still have work to do.”
The Bears will now wait for their CIF-SS Division 1 first round playoff pairing – to be released Monday – and 11 days before they play that opponent on Friday, Feb. 14.
“We’ll take advantage and maximize your days; make sure we don’t fall into a pattern where they might get bored or lose intensity,” Figueroa said. “We’ll switch it up, keep them on their toes and not give them a ton of days off.”
Figueroa said the team will be playing full-field scrimmages the next two days then will begin the process of conditioning, rest and recuperation leading into the playoffs. It’s a system he learned from iconic Bears coach Tom Tilson.
“This has been almost impossible to do,” Figueroa said. “You can be the greatest team of all-time but everybody has a bad day. We were able to avoid that 26 times – in different and adverse conditions – all around the area.”
Poly’s other unbeaten teams were in 1988 and 2000. Riverside mayor Rusty Bailey played on the 1998 squad.
Follow Dennis Pope on Twitter @DennisPope
