Santa Ana boys soccer coach proud of team and already looks forward to new challenge

Santa Ana boys soccer coach Joe Peñaflor talks to his players after Tuesday’s match. (Photo courtesy Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Shortly after watching his squad lose to Loyola 3-0 in the quarterfinal round of the CIF Divsion 1 boys soccer playoffs Tuesday, Santa Ana Coach Joe Peñaflor expressed pride in his team’s effort.

And, he was already looking forward to the challenge of putting together another solid team next season.

Santa Ana won its seventh consecutive league title and won two games in the playoffs before falling to Loyola on Tuesday at Santa Ana Stadium,

“I’m proud of this team, there were a lot of definite highlights this season,” Peñaflor said. “There were a lot of great performances individually and of course team wise. We had a lot of adversity that we haven’t talked too much about.

“A number of players that we expected to play 20 games only got four or five games in for us and the playoffs….we had times when we had to go without Ceasar (Zamora) and Saul (Ortuno) and (Joel) Espejo, who were key seniors and young guys were able to step up and play great minutes.

“And the fact that we played a lot of top teams, the pre-season and the tournaments, giving it everything we had and the way we played, we went undefeated in league, 8-0-2, and the guys didn’t quit. They didn’t give up, they gave it everything they had. We’re so proud of them.”

Peñaflor, who earned his 300th career victory this season, said the program has come a long ways in five years.

“We were getting into the finals in Division 2, then we made the leap up to Division 1,” he said. “We got bounced out early, about four years ago in the first round and now we’re in these games….The score line doesn’t look like it, 3-0 today, but the overall effort and the way these guys play hard every minute no matter what, I couldn’t be prouder. This is exactly what we’ve worked for and what we want to see out of these kids and couldn’t be prouder.”

Peñaflor said he has no regrets about Tuesday’s match.

“We just keep moving forward and now it’s like we’re going to look forward to the next game as soon as I sit down and start making the schedule for next year….we’re just going to get ready and keep trying to get the next group to play at this level or even higher,” he said. “We just threw everything we can at this, myself, my coaching staff, the supporting people and the players. For me, I just keep looking forward to the next challenge and that’s what this program is about.

“We want to challenge ourselves to go even harder next year and see if we can get past a team like a San Clemente or a Loyola in this type of quarterfinal match, which we haven’t done in the last couple of years. Losing the seniors we have, it’s going to be another great challenge to see if we can do that. But it’s why we coach.”

-Courtesy Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone