Through 16 matches, the Torrey Pines High School looks like one of the best boys soccer teams in San Diego County.
Behind two-goal nights from both Marcus Weick and Lucas Ladendorf, the Falcons’ dominant season rolled along on Tuesday, as they cruised to a 5-1 win over Oceanside High School. Torrey Pines improved to 12-3-1 on the season, tightening its grip atop the Coastal League standings.
“The last few years, Oceanside has had our number, but the boys wanted it today,” said Torrey Pines coach Francisco Lona. “They wanna win (the) league, and they proved tonight they are a team to be reckoned with.”
Torrey Pines was in complete control id the match from start to finish. Along the wing, they found ample opportunities playing the ball through Chase Mafong. The junior’s first-half effort helped the Falcons log four first-half corner kicks, two of which generated shots on goal in the 15th and 33rd minutes.
Torrey Pines’ constant pressure led to a goal in the 39th minute. Falcons captain Lucas Ladendorf laced home a second-chance opportunity from nine yards out, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead heading into the half. It would be Ladendorf’s first of two goals on the night.
“I knew I had to get that ball,” Ladendorf said. “It wasn’t the best strike, but it went in.”
After toying with the Oceanside back-line for the first 40 minutes of action, Mafong continued doing so in the second half. In the 45th minute, he fired an excellent ball forward to striker Marcus Weick, who settled the ball and promptly buried a shot into the bottom-left corner from 12 yards out to make it a 2-0 Torrey Pines lead.
Nine minutes later, Mafong and Weick connected once again. Mafong sent a beautiful corner kick toward Weick near the far post. The 6-foot-2 junior went airborne and headed a ball into the top right corner, extending the Torrey Pines lead to 3-0.
“Being taller, you are always expected to go and win the header,” Weick said, “My teammates had been making fun of me recently for not winning those, so it felt good to get up there and put one in the back of the net.”
Mafong capped his night with a goal of his own in the 58th, making it a 4-0 game and putting the match on ice.
“In our first matchup, Oceanside had my number on the inside, so I figured I’d try going to the outside more. I tried to keep my game more versatile tonight,” Mafong said. “Overall, I think tonight was a great team performance.”