PHOTOS: Top-seeded JSerra survives challenge from No. 2 Sunny Hills to capture CIF title

JSerra players Keenai Braun (5), Reagan Heslin (91) and Sidney Dina (99) celebrate the Lions’ CIF Division 1 championship. (Photos courtesy Eric Christensen, For OC Sports Zone).

The CIF Division 1 boys soccer championship was interrupted for 45 minutes Saturday because of lightning in the area.

No lightning hit the Long Beach Veterans Stadium during the respite, but it did, figuratively, the instant play resumed in the form of two goals in the span of 16 seconds that propelled top-seeded JSerra to a 2-0 victory over No. 2 Sunny Hills.

For the Lions, it was Mission Accomplished. For the Lancers it was Mission Almost.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

JSerra, the No. 1 team in California and the No. 2 team in the nation, had chafed for a year over losing the 2022 title match to Trinity League rival, Servite, 1-0 on penalty kicks.

Saturday’s prototypical JSerra victory eased the memory of the 2020 loss.

Sunny Hills was trying to write another chapter in a success story, and even in defeat the Lancers did accomplish that goal.

After missing the playoffs for the first time in decades in the 2021 spring COVID season, the Lancers had regrouped to win the CIF Division 3 title a year ago and then put together an unbeaten season, until Saturday in Division 1 this year.

Although it didn’t score, JSerra dominated play in the first 30 minutes of Saturday’s match so Sunny Hills’ Coach Mike Schade wasn’t that disappointed when a weather delay was called.

“I told the official, ‘this is just what we need.’ I was right, and I was wrong.’”

Play stopped on a JSerra throw-in, and that’s how it resumed.

The throw-in deflected off a Sunny Hills defender to the feet of JSerra Angel Reyes, who blasted a shot past a handful of Lancer defenders and through the goal.

It was the first goal the Lancers had allowed in more than 540 minutes of match time, spanning six complete game shutouts, two in overtime. That included three consecutive 1-0 victories in the playoffs.

And that wasn’t the last of the JSerra lightning strikes. Sixteen seconds later, 6-foot-8 Tanner Casey used his head to redirect a perfectly placed corner kick by Nathan Aquino and the Lions had a 2-0 advantage.

“We kept playing, trying to get one goal, to get it close,” Schade said, “but when we had a chance, their goalie (Noah Nesson) always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.”

The season isn’t over for either team. SoCal Regional pairings announced Sunday have JSerra, appropriately seeded No. 1, hosting No. 8 seed Ridgeview (19-2-3) in a 5 p.m. match Tuesday (Feb.28).

No. 5 seed Sunny Hills (22-1-3) travels to No. 4 San Dieguito Academy (20-3-4), loser to St. Augustine, 1-0, in the San Diego Open Division final. That match is also at 5 p.m. Semifinals are Thursday, title match Saturday.

—Courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone