CIF CHAMPIONS! La Habra makes first trip to finals one to remember (Photos)

La Habra pitchers Matt Coats (left) and Josh Castillo hold the championship plaque. Matthew Flores (left) looks on. (Photo Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone)

La Habra senior right hander pitcher Josh Castillo limited Elsinore to four hits over 6 and 2/3 innings to lead the Highlanders to an 8-3 victory over the Tigers in the CIF Division 6 baseball championship game Saturday at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field. The game started at 10 a.m.

It marked the first time La Habra High has won a CIF baseball championship in school history. The Highlanders, who placed second in the Freeway League this season, improved their record to 23-10. Elsinore, which was also appearing in its first championship game, fell to 19-6. 

Castillo struck out six, walked four and was rolling along until he tired in the final inning. Matt Coats relieved Castillo and got the final out to secure the championship for the Highlanders. Kyle Thoulion (5-2), who started for Elsinore and pitched four innings, giving up two runs on four hits, took the loss.  

“It’s an unreal and it’s a great feeling to win the championship,” said Castillo, who threw 105 pitches. “I wasn’t nervous when the game started, but I got a little nervous in the second inning when they got two runners on and no outs, but I put my full trust in my teammates and we got out of it. I wanted to finish, but you don’t always get your way.”

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La Habra second year coach Jack Brooks credited the players with the championship.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the kids,” said Brooks. “Starting with the 12 seniors from last year, they all bought into what we were doing. The kids and the assistant coaches deserve all of the credit. Winning the school’s first CIF baseball championship and doing it for the community, that’s what it’s all about.”

After each team failed to score in the first three innings, La Habra scored twice in the fourth and fifth innings and then rallied for four more runs in the sixth inning to build a commanding 8-0 lead. Along the way, the Highlanders took advantage of six Tiger miscues.

David Shackelford led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to left. Coats laid down a bunt that the Elsinore hird baseman fielded but his throw was to the inside of the first base bag and sailed down the right field line enabling Shackelford to move up to third and Coats to second with no outs. Adrian Diaz walked to load the bases. Peyton Lee then followed with a RBI sacrifice fly to center, scoring Shackelford to give the Highlanders a 1-0 lead.

A batter later, Coats went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error (to third base) by the catcher that upped La Habra’s lead to 2-0.

“We all tried not to do too much,” Shackelford said. “We all had a job to do and we came in here with confidence and it means the world to win it all.”

La Habra added two runs in the fifth inning to increase its lead to 4-0. With two outs and runners at second and third, Diaz hit a slow roller to short and beat the throw to first but the throw got away from the first baseman allowing both Jesse Lopez and Shackelford to score, making it 4-0. 

“It’s been an unbelievable experience to have this feeling,” said Lopez, a junior second baseman. “I wouldn’t want to do this with any other group of guys.”

Derrick Cruz and Matt Flores highlighted the sixth inning with RBI as the Highlanders added four more runs to increase their lead to 8-0. 

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Cruz said, as he celebrated with his family. “I was nervous but the nerves is what makes it fun.”

Elsinore didn’t quit, rallying to score three runs in the seventh inning before Coats replaced Castillo and got Josh McAninch to pop out with the bases loaded to end the game and secure the championship for La Habra.

“It’s our coaches’ (Jack Brooks) second year with this program and when he got here he told us what we were going to do to win a championship,” Coats said. “We did what he told us to do and we trusted each other. It’s an amazing feeling.”

The Tigers had an excellent scoring opportunity in the second inning but came up short.

Dallas Slayton led off with a walk and then took third on Thoulion’s single to right center. Castillo struck out Dillon Slayton for the first out. Chad Horton followed by laying down a bunt that first baseman Cole Sciacca fielded and threw to Cruz (at home) who had Dallas Slayton caught in a rundown between third and home. Cruz threw to third baseman, Peyton Lee, who threw to Castillo (the pitcher) covering home and he tagged out Slayton for the second out of the inning.

Castillo then retired Cole Draheim on a liner to third to end the inning and stranding runners at second and third. 

Flores, Lopez and Diaz had two hits apiece and Shackelford scored two runs for the Highlanders. Kyle Thoulion had two hits for Elsinore. 

“It’s amazing to be out here and win,” said Lee. “We were all nervous at first but the difference was we calmed down as the game wore on.”

“I feel great,” said Highlanders shortstop Matt Flores. “After last year’s season was cut short because of COVID this is extra special. It’s the school’s first baseball championship ever. In 100 years they’ll still be reading about us.”

The Highlanders won 14 of their last 15 games. La Habra outscored its playoff opponents 55-9. The Highlanders defeated Rim of the World, Bishop Montgomery, Linfield Christian and Barstow in the first four rounds of the playoffs.

The Tigers defeated Bloomington, Ontario, South Pasadena and Aquinas in the playoffs. 

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—Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone