Tustin’s first-year coach Donal Kennedy would rather I not write this about senior Ernesto Hinojosa.

“I would like to keep him undercover,” he told me. “Wait until after league. They’ll be on him. They’ll focus on him.”

Note to the Century League – something Laguna Beach can share with you – don’t let Hinojosa play with the ball. Don’t let Hinojosa run down the sideline unmarked.

The Breakers made both mistakes Friday and watched Hinojosa score three times. Laguna Beach still won, 4-3, but Hinojosa was the most exciting player to watch.

There were’t many times he didn’t beat his man 1 on 1. Only when Laguna Beach rarely was organized enough and had two guys on him, did it slow him.

Hinojosa is decepitively quick, like a basketball player who plays at different speeds. He doesn’t play full-out, fifth-gear pedal-to-the-metal at all times (translated, he’s in control and knows what he wants to do, and can actually do it because he’s in control), so he repeatedly set up defenders, then blew right past them with ease.

On one goal, the goalie charged in attempts to break the play up, but Hinojosa kept the ball alive and dribbled it into the net for the goal.

“He’s a fantastic kid,” Kennedy said. “He’s a real hard worker. He has skill, strength and speed.”

• Boys soccer: Laguna Beach out shoots Tustin, 4-3
• Boys soccer: Dottore’s top 11 of December
• Mater Dei defeats Fullerton in Marina final

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.