Since we've last talked, I have had someone break into my car, my investments have taken a bit of a plunge because of a market that seems to be getting worse and I've gained a few pounds.

But on a positive note, Santa Margarita and La Habra claimed the CIF-Southern Section Division I and III titles, respectively. And the Eagles also claimed the inaugural CIF Southern California Regional Division II title.

With the season done and over that meant only one thing was left to do: publish our Register All-County teams and player and coach of the year.

The process always is grueling. It's never easy to select the first, second and third teams. There's sometimes a feeling that someone was left out despite the long hours put into research and interviewing of coaches who played against the top players in the county.

But I will say this: for the first time in four years I feel I finally selected a strong and without question the best 11 in Orange County.

As I'm sure you have read in the paper and online by now, the first team selections are:

Billy Thompson (Santa Margarita, goalkeeper); Roger Downes (Santa Margarita, defender); Tim Pontius (Servite, defender); Austin McAnena (Santa Margarita, midfielder); Jonathan Prieto (La Habra, midfielder); Omar Laris (Saddleback, midfielder); Wes Feighner (Los Alamitos, midfielder); Mauricio Gonzalez (Saddleback, midfielder); Brent Hellessen (Orange Lutheran, Forward); Mike Munoz (Santa Margarita, forward); and Andy Martinez (San Clemente, forward).

Edgar Bran of La Habra is the Register's boys soccer player of the year and Curt Bauer of Santa Margarita is the coach of the year (more on that in a bit).

The first team selections are based on surveys taken by selected county coaches who have played against the players listed above. Among things taken into consideration are how a player's presence impacts the team's ability to perform, the player's leadership, demeanor and domination of his position among other players in the county.

As the playoffs neared and throughout the playoffs, I surveyed coaches and asked their imput for All-County first team selection. Coaches were encouraged only to nominate players not on their team. So when Los Alamitos coach Don Martinez and Santa Ana Valley coach Jose Sanchez were at a roundtable breakfeast with myself and another reporter, they only were allowed to talk about players they saw play.

For example: Coach Martinez had nice things to say about Alex Loeffelman, the Fountain Valley forward who scored 23 goals. Coach Sanchez shared his thoughts on Edgar Bran and Jonathan Prieto, players that he faced against in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs.

But those were not the only coaches surveyed for the All-County first team selection. Others were asked to give their input. Some did. Some didn't.

Numerous phone calls were made to coaches several times to re-assure their selection. After several weeks of asking around, the first-team was finally selected and I was comfortable with the selection. I felt it was not only safe to go with my first team selection, but it was the best team put together on the field.

Once the first team was selected, it was time to call the coaches of the players and notify them of their status as first team All-County. It is important that I was confident with my selections because once the phone calls are made to their coaches, there is no turning back. Reason is because once coaches are notified they are instructed to tell their players to arrive at The Register offices in Santa Ana for a photo shoot. It would be not only embarassing to me but also devestating to the player if he showed up and found out it was a mistake for him to arrive for a photo shoot he was not meant to be at.

Fortunately, that has not been a mistake I have made the last four years. But I feel that this year's All-County team is the strongest, best and most accurate selection.

***

THE PLAYER OF the Year award can be the easiest and most obvious selection or it can be the most difficult to pin-point.

The players of the year I have personallly selected, in order, are: Jeff Clark (Esperanza), Juan Tolento (Santa Ana Valley), Greg Francis (La Habra) and this year's honoree, Edgar Bran (La Habra).

In my opinion, Clark, Tolento and Francis were obvious selections. Both were seniors at the time of their selection and each led their teams to the finals of the CIF-Southern Section Divisional playoffs.

Clark was a dominant force at forward for the Aztecs; Tolento scored 47 goals in leading the Falcons to a Division III title; and Francis scored 37 goals and led the Highlanders to their first CIF-Southern Section Division III title.

Of those three, Francis was the more difficult choice to make beause his teammate, Bran, also amassed 30 goals that season. But it was determined that Francis was more dominant, his speed and agility making him the favorite to win the award. And he also was a senior at the time; Bran was a junior.

This year, however, there were several players who were in the mix for player of the year. Including Bran, there were four players who were considered for the award.

But a consensus was reached and Bran was determined to be the player who was more intimidating and had a striking presence, and it was obvious he was the X-factor; the type of player that needed to be shut down if a team was to have a chance to beat his team. Bran also came through for his team. He scored his 34th and 35th goals of the season in the second half against Saddleback to help La Habra come from behind and win its second straight CIF-SS Division III title. A player of that caliber needs to come up big when his team needs him most and Bran came through.

***

THE COACH OF the Year award also was tough to make this season. There were six coaches who in my mind were up for the award. Four of those six coaches were asked to select their coach of the year (the four coaches had no idea they were in contention for the award) and at the end of the season picked Curt Bauer of Santa Margarita.

The coach of the year award goes to the coach who gets the most out of the least talent given to work with. There is no doubt Coach Curt Bauer did not fall into that criteria given the talented group at hand. However, even with such a strong group, there is no guarantee the team will win and succeed the way this year's Eagles did. (Remember the Lakers when Coach Phil Jackson had Shaq, Kobe, Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Derek Fisher? I thought for sure they'd win the title but too much fire doesn't always lead to success).

Coach Curt Bauer found a way to keep his guys motivated and did not let them believe in their own hype. The Eagles were in headlines, stories and had photos published in the Register; they finished as the top-ranked team in the county and also in the CIF-SS Division I rankings. But Bauer did not let those accolades get to their head. The Eagles still worked harder and found a way to win, breaking two school records along the way en route to their third straight CIF-SS Division I title and the SoCal Regional Division II title.

Here is what I wrote for the coach of the year story:

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He had the players. He had the talent.

How could Santa Margarita coach Curt Bauer not win?

"Even when you have the talent and have all the ingredients of a championshp team you still have to find a way to keep a team with such a high nucleus motivated," said one Orange County coach who echoed other coach's views when asked to pick the county's best coach, "and that responsibility falls on on the coach. Curt (Bauer) did that."

Bauer is laidback, methodical and poignant - all at the same time.

And he knew that having a lot of weapons doesn't always mean an easy task.

"You have to remember that they all come eight to 10 different club teams," Bauer said. "And some of them are the main guy on their team or play certain positions on their team.

"So they would have to come here and I'd have to say, 'Look, maybe you're not going to be a forward for us. Roger, you're going to stay in the back and not come forward and get involved in the attack.' Things like that they're not used to doing, but they put the team before they put themselves ahead and said, 'I'll do that for the team.'"

Bauer got the Eagles to put their personal gains behind the team gains and buy into the game plan.

"That's defending first and attacking second," Bauer said. "They bought into it and believed in it."

Santa Margarita as a result cemeted its role as a perennial powerhouse after winning its third straight CIF-Southern Section Division I title and the inaugural CIF Southern California Regional Division II title, all the while allowing only 12 goals (a new school record) and recording 19 shutouts, one shy of the school record of 20 set in 1995.

Bauer arguably is the most knowledgeable coach in the state, as several coaches and members of the media expressed. He has coached many players who have gone on to top Division I schools and also gone on to play in Major League Soccer.

For his consistency and ability to keep a nucleus team play cohesively, Bauer is The Register's 2007-08 Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.

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I personally talked on the phone with two coaches and told them they were in the running for coach of the year award. I was comfortable telling them why in the end I selected Bauer. To my surprise (and this is how classy and honest these two coaches are) they agreed with my selection. I know both of these coaches well enough to know they were not agreeing with me just for the sake of agreeing with me and not feeling left out. These two coaches are real classy and it is why it is a pleasure to cover them and their teams.

For two weeks I could not sleep and drive. When I went to bed I had a hard time narrowing down the final two candidate for coach of the year. I kid you not, when I would drive to the office, to an assignment or having lunch with a friend-reporter, I could not stop thinking about my decision. I wanted to make the right decision and after numerous phone calls and serious thinking, I know I made the right decision in my selecting Curt Bauer.

These decisions never come easy. Not to me or Steve Fryer (boys basketball), Carlos Arias (girls basketball), Damian Calhoun (wrestling) Dan Albano (water polo) and Jason Eichelberger (girls soccer).

We do the very best we can. A lot of hard work goes to making these selections so I hope that if there is a concern with mine or other reporter's selections, you be kind with your e-mails asking for feedback. Because I can bet you we did not just throw darts on the wall and make our picks on a coin flip.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to e-mail or leave a comment. It's time to go to bed. For pete's sake it's 5:14 a.m.!!!!

The top-seeded Eagles defeated Cathedral Catholic of San Diego, 1-0, to claim the inaugural CIF Division II Southern California championship on Saturday afternoon at Warren High in Downey.

I thought the match was actually a good one, but both coaches said it wasn't pretty soccer and I can see why they would say that, too.

"It wasn't pretty soccer but it was effective," Santa Margarita coach Curt Bauer said. "They had a long throw, we had a long throw, they had some big guys up front and we had big guys up front.

"So there were good one-on-one battles throughout the match, but as far as pretty, slow-passing and that type of soccer you didn't see a whole lot of that."

Alex Rodriguez scored in the 31st minute on a flicker that went through the legs of Cathedral keeper Matt McDonald.

But it was Cal-bound senior forward Mike Muñoz, whose alertness and ability to develop a play where seemingly there is none, who afforded the goal.

Muñoz took an outlet pass on the left wing and, after sealing his defender, dribbled past another defender to find an open Rodriguez near the 6-yard box.

“And that's Muñoz,” Bauer said. “That's what makes him special. You can mark him out of the game for a while but it's going to be that one chance where he's going to finish it himself or get it to one of his teammates; it doesn't matter who scores and he doesn't matter who scores; he's one of the most humble kids you'll ever meet.”

Muñoz acknowledge he initially was going to take a shot but after Rodriguez called for the ball that's when his hesitation led to what seemed to be an ill-pass to a charging Rodriguez.

“He creates a crowd,” Bauer said. “He came inside with the ball and the defender followed him and the sweeper had to follow him, and Alex made an overlap turn around him and Mike just diced a brilliant pass in there.”

Billy Thompson at goal made spectacular saves, notably in the second half on point-blank shots to preserve the Eagles victory.

“They shutout a game like a soccer game is supposed to be shutout,” Cathedral coach Bryan Wood said.

Santa Margarita's defense afforded not just a third straight CIF-Southern Section Division I title, but also broke a record that made Bauer beam.

The Eagles allowed only 12 goals this season and broke the record of 13 set in 1993, a team that boasts several players currently playing in MLS. And Santa Margarita also recorded its 19th shutout of the season, one shy of the record of 20 set in 1995.

It shows how much heart and character they have,” Bauer said, “because that team (in 1993) had some of the top players in the state if not in the country.

“The guys that don't get credited are Garrett (Martinez) and Trey Whitaker that are a huge part of (the record). And to get 19 shutouts in the season and only give up 12 goals in 31 games I would have never expected.”

Seconds before the Santa Margarita boys soccer team got into formation, senior defender Roger Downes gave each of his starters a hug.

“I wanted them to know I was going to put my body out there for them and give them everything,” Downes explained.

“That's the epitome of the team,” Eagles coach Curt Bauer said. “I ask these guys to check their egos at the door and put their personal gains behind the team gains; that's defending first and attacking second and they bought into it and they believed in it and that can take you a long way.”

Coach Curt Bauer did not have to worry about egoes and that led to a cohesive team that was just hungry to win.

"You have to remember that they all come from eight to 10 different club teams," Bauer said. "And some of them are the main guy on their team or they play certain positions on their team.

"So they would have to come here and I'd have to say, 'Look, maybe you're not going to be a forward for us. Roger, you're going to stay in the back and not come forward and get involved in the attack.' Things like that they're not used to doing. So they said, 'I'll do that for the team.'

"And they did that, they put the team before they put themselves ahead."

When asked if the Eagles were going to order two rings (a CIF-SS and CIF SoCal ring) Bauer laughed.

"I don't know," he said. "I'm just happy I get to worry about that."

Bauer was asked which keeper was better, Billy Thompson or Matt Reiss, who plays for the New England Revolution.

"I only have to go with longevity," he said. "Matt Reiss. Billy would be very flattered to even be mentioned next to the name of Matt Reiss."

***

I WILL SPEND most of Sunday NOT at the Lakers game, but rather finalizing the All-County team. The All-County team will be published on March 18.

***

AFTER INTERVIEWING MIKE Munoz, his father took a picture of the both of us. I've covered the kid for about three years now. So any time I've covered an athlete that long it can be an emotional farewell. Think about it, Munoz one day could be playing MLS or in England (or whatever) and I'll get to say, 'I got to cover him in high school.' The same can be said of Roger Downes, who in two weeks leaves by himself for Scotland to try out for Dundee United. Downes said it'll be a great experience for him and no doubt about that.

***

AS I WALKED THROUGH the Santa Margarita crowd I was pulled aside by a few parents. As always it was a pleasure speaking to Mr. Jim McAnena and Pat Sullivan.

Then a huge surprise for me: senior midfielder Jon Manna and a few of his teammates came up to me, shook my hand and said thanks for the coverage.

Only a few athletes have come up to me and said that, so it's always nice. And you're welcome. I'm glad you liked the coverage and it was fun engaging with you guys through this blog.

And with that postive note I will bounce from here. It's 9:38 p.m. as I'm finishing this and my buddies want me to put the laptop to bed and head out for a good 'ol Saturday night out.

I will blog sometime next week about the All-County team. Thanks for reading.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE posted the Cathedral Catholic-Arlington of Riverside boys soccer story on its Website. I have provided the story below so you Eagles soccer freaks can read it. And while you're at it, you can also see how other papers cover their sports. I'm like Progressive Insurance, I bring you the best rates.

This time I mean it ... good night (or should I say, good morning?)

Cathedral's boys match Dons girls By Kevin Gemmell UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER March 7, 2008 After the Cathedral Catholic girls soccer team won its semifinal to reach tomorrow's Southern California Regional Division II championship game, coach Dawn Lee sought out Dons boys coach Bryan Wood. His team was getting ready to take the field with a similar goal in mind, and Lee had words of encouragement.  "We did our part. Now it's your turn to get it done,” she told Wood.Not wanting to disappoint, the boys team topped Riverside Arlington 1-0 last night at Cathedral. “That's a lot of pressure,” Wood joked after the win. “She has one of the best teams in the country every year. I was nervous and excited.” The Dons advance to play in the Division II final of the inaugural regional championships at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at Warren High School in Downey. They'll face top-seeded Santa Margarita, which beat Canoga Park in the other semifinal. Cathedral (28-2-2) scored the game's only goal in the 11th minute. Alex Portela provided a crossing pass to Nick Finn, who converted the opportunity. The Dons kept the pressure up but were turned away every other time by Arlington keeper Pablo Gonzalez, who recorded six saves. His Cathedral counterpart, Matt McDonald, was perfect. He owned the box in the second half. Several key saves – including a point-blank stop in the 62nd minute – kept the Dons' slim 1-0 lead intact. He also finished with six saves. “I knew I had to come up big for my team,” said McDonald, who made it a point to mention every member of his defense. “I'm the last line of defense. But the defense in front of me was incredible.” Wood cited McDonald's save as the decisive moment in the game. “That team doesn't miss that shot ever,” said Wood, whose second-seeded Dons were the San Diego Section Division III champs. “I can't say enough about our defense. We wanted to disrupt their passing lanes because we knew if they could string together some passes, they would get their confidence up.” Poway wins In Division I, Poway upset third-seeded Fresno Roosevelt 3-1 at Fresno Pacific University, advancing to tomorrow's 1 p.m. championship game against Santa Monica at Warren High. Junior center midfielder Spencer Skeen opened the scoring for Poway (22-2-4) in the 20th minute. Four minutes later, senior right midfielder E.J. Schneekluth scored on a penalty kick to give the Titans a 2-0 halftime lead. It was Schneekluth's team-leading 16th goal of the season. Ten minutes into the second half, Collin Wooster headed in a corner kick from sophomore left midfielder Alex Henry for a three-goal Poway lead. Titans goalkeeper Ian Weinberg made six saves. “We came out as the seventh seed. We thought we should have been higher,” said Titans coach Gene Morris, a 1988 Poway alum. “We used that as motivation. We beat them with speed up top. We went to the long ball. We were the much stronger team. “We play Santa Monica, the No. 1 seed. They're undefeated. Of course, we'd love to give them that first loss. It looks like it could be a good game.” Kevin Gemmell: (619) 718-5304; kevin.gemmell@uniontrib.com

*** 

I MADE THE 50 mile, one-way drive to the city of Las Flores on Thursday afternoon. It's about an hour drive from Downey to Las Flores, a city next to Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo.

It was a city I'm almost certain the Canoga Park boys soccer team had never heard of; trust me, I hadn't heard of the city either when I first TRIED to go to Tesoro High for a girls tennis match four years ago. As a kid growing up in Los Angeles, I had never heard of Orange County, no less toll roads.

I racked up close to $200 worth of tickets for passing the toll roads (I thought you only had to pay once!) and my car at the time, a 2000 Nissan Altima in tip-top shape, sustained not one, but TWO flat tires as I exited to Tesoro High. I never made the tennis match and spent about $120 at JustTires replacing my tires.

So you can understand my hesitation for at first dreading the drive to Tesoro High.

But there was no reason for my not going. The top-seed Santa Margarita boys soccer team were the lone boys soccer team alive in the CIF Southern California Regionals.

And it's a good thing I made my way to Tesoro High, albeit eight minutes late. The Eagles put on an offensive clinic; Mike Muñoz did to be more specific.

The Cal-bound forward recorded his 20th, 21st and 22nd goals of the season, all scored in the first half in a 4-1 victory against Canoga Park High in the semifinals of the CIF Division II Southern Caligornia Regionals boys soccer playoffs.

Muñoz  scored the first two goals in similar fashion: Austin McAnena fed him the ball on a set piece from about 20 yards out. Muñoz  flicked the ball into the net after the ball found its way to him, but credit to McAnena whose pass resulted in Canoga Park's defense to collapse. Canoga Park really had no chance in this game. The Eagles out-shot the Hunters in the first half.

Muñoz 's third goal was a bit weird, but hey, the ball found its way into the net and suddenly the Eagles in the 39th minute were headed to the half with a 3-0 lead.

Muñoz 's three goals gives him 49 career goals, which broke Seth George's 48 goals set in 1995.

"I'm definitely stoked about (breaking the record) and to  top of that list is an honor," Muñoz  said after the match.

I find it amazing how a team, with so much success this season, still has the hunger to win. Twenty-plus victories this season, 18 shutouts this season, only 12 goals allowed, a Trinity League title, a third straight CIF-SS DivisionI title, and still, there's a hunger to win.

Muñoz  explains.

"It's definitely our coaches who keep s us motivated," he said. "We want this just as much and it's also the first year of (SoCal Regionals) so it's something we really want. We're going for the whole thing for sure."

Coach Curt Bauer opined on how the Eagles find the will to win.

"They come to Santa Margarita because they want to win and they work hard," Bauer said. "You have to keep everybody involved and belieivng in something.

"State. We've never played in it before and we may never be in it again so it's an opportunity for the guys that they don't want to miss it."

(When Bauer says "we may never be in it again" I assume it's because who knows if CIF will extend the SoCal Regional after the two-year pilot expires)

Still, at some point the players have to be tired physically. Bauer said before the start of the tournament that this was a new challenge and boy have they done some damage, solidifying their status as a true powerhouse not just in Orange County but perhaps in the state.

"It's a totally differnt feeling," Bauer said. "We have a CIF championship already in our back pocket; anything else we do from here we never expected at the beginning of the year; it's just all gravy.

"So wer'e just going to go in with a lot of confidence, and we're kinda still hungry because we're kinda mad we gave up that goal. We thought he (the Canoga Park player who scored) was on their bench and all of a sudden he comes flying. We didn't pay any attention and that was a mistake on our part. They (Downes and Windes) thought they had a tons of time. These guys don't like giving up goals. Roger (Downes) is (mad), and we won 4-1 and we're going to the finals; that's the heart of a champion."

 The play Bauer talks about when giving up a goal, Downes was going after a ball which his keeper, backup Grant Windes, also went after. But they did not see Oscar De La Cruz coming after it, too. He took the ball, split the defenders and sent the ball into the net to spoil the Eagles' shutout.

Windes, who started at keeper during the second half, did an amazing job in the second half. He stopped two shots that were sent forcefully. He dove to his left on the first save and later dove to his right.

 "I tell you what," Bauer said. "I have the three best keepers I've seen; they'd start for any team we've faced."

It's likely Cathedral Catholic of San Diego will have heard about Muñoz by now. But how do you defend him? It's basically pick your poison with Santa Margarita. 

"It's hard because if you concentrate on (Muñoz), Austin will drop one or Casey will drop one."

Casey Wootan scored his 12th goal of the season on a header after beautiful cross from Roger Downes running down the right wing.

***

I HAD THE pleasure of sitting with Jim McAnena during the second half of the match. Mr. McAnena wanted to know who had posted some comments regarding the Register's coverage of the Santa Margarita boys soccer team. I thought the Eagles had pretty good exposure as they do every year. He also asked why I was thinking of bringing an entourage with me to protect me. Of course, I was being sarcastic about bringing bodyguards.

Also had the pleasure of talking to Casey Wootan's mother, who always asks how I'm doing (is it really possible to get the flu twice in a row?!?!?). She suggested no more jogging but I've gained a few pounds since I've stopped consistently jogging.

One other parent sitting next to Mr. McAnena suggested a headline to me: Eagles DOM-inate!

And that they did. Way to shut me up about Santa Margarita's lack of offense during the playoffs.

(As I'm sure you know, I do not write the headlines. I leave that for the big boys working on the sports desk)

***

MY GOOD FRIEND Ivan Orozco, who is my former roommate and now a sportswriter for a newspaper in San Diego, sent me a text asking the final score for the Santa Margarita-Canoga Park match. When I replied, "SM wins, 4-1" he replied simply, "wow".

He will be coming up to Downey on Saturday to cover Santa Margarita against his team from San Diego. Coach Curt Bauer wanted me to phone him the score of the Cathedral Catholic-Arlington score. It was a 1-0 win for Cathedral. They did not score until the second half.

Cathedral Catholic is no stranger to Orange County soccer. They've taken part in the West Coast Classic the last three years.

***

WHEN I WALKED onto the field to watch the match, a few fans wondered who I was, casually strolling onto the field with no regard. A Santa Margarita campus supervisor walked over and asked, "Hey man, are you supposed to be down here." I flashed my nifty Register press pass and he said, "Ah, OK."

He later walked back before Munoz scored his second goal. He said the SM athletic director had asked him to find out who I was. When the supervisor relayed the message back to the AD, the supervisor said, smiled and said it was OK for me to be down there.

I'm just glad I wasn't booted!

***

THE RECORD FOR most shutouts in a season at Santa Margarita is 20. The Eagles have 18 this year and if they record a shutout on Saturday they will be one shy of tying the record. That is why giving up the late goal was tough on the Eagles. They could have tied for most shutouts in a season. Santa Margarita's record for least goals allowed in a season is 13. They have allowed 12 so far. So if they record a shutout on Saturday they'll break one record and be one-shy of another. Not a bad season, eh?

***

GOT A FEW comments in my last blog. One fan asked if I thought La Habra was the best team in the county. I have to say, La Habra is a really good team, but I don't think they're the best team in the county.

My vote would go to Santa Margarita (I can't wait until someone starts saying I'm a Santa Margarita homer). They're arguably the most balanced team and have way too many weapons in the midfield, up top, and of course in the back with plenty of depth at the keeper position. How can anyone disagree?

Johnson ... My All-County team will be published in The Register I believe a week from Tuesday. So no partying for me this weekend since I want to finalize the team by Monday.

OK, scratch that. I'll still party but instead of going to the Lakers game on Sunday, I'll work on the All-County team.

***

I WORK FROM home on Friday, writing a small preview for the Santa Margarita-Cathedral game. My goal is to do some early research about Cathedral Catholic and post it on OCVarsity.com soon. There will be a condensed version in the paper on Saturday.

See you guys on Saturday afternoon.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

My buddy who writes for the competition on the other side of the town said McAnena's goal was a beauty, volleyed from outside the 18-yard box. I was told Wootan scored in simlar fashion, from outside the box.

As a result, the top-seed Eagles in the Division II SoCal Regional will play Canoga Park of the City Section, on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Tesoro High.

I will be covering this match. (Hey Eagles fans, should I bring bodyguards?)

If you remember, Canoga Park last year was the wonder team in boys soccer, tearing up teams in the West Coast Classic and en route to a CIF City Section title. Canoga Park is not the same team it was last season, but they are still a dangerous team. If this was last year's Canoga Park team this would be a really really good match. It'll still be a good matchup and the nod here goes to Santa Margarita. I guess I might as well clear my plans for Saturday afternoon since I'm sure I"ll be at Warren High, the site of the Regional finals.

(So much for watching my UCLA Bruins playing host to Stanford on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion)

Moving on ... Saddleback lost to Poway on penalty kicks, 3-2, after a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation. Coach Mel Silva said Poway is the best team they've faced hands down.

That's it for now. Talk to you all on Thursday.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

The top-seeded Eagles will play in Division II while the second-seeded Roadrunners play in Division I. The divisions are based on school enrollment.

Santa Margarita will take on Coronado (15-3-4) of the San Diego Section at 7 p.m. at St. Margaret's High. The winners moves on to Thursday's semifinals against the winner of the Canoga Park-West Torrance match.

Here's how the brackets look:

No. 8 seed Coronado (San Diego Section, 15-3-4) vs. No. 1 seed Santa Margarita (Southern Section, 22-2-4), 7 p.m. at St. Margaret's High.

No. 5 West Torrance (Southern Section, 18-4-5) at No. 4 Canoga Park (L.A. City Section, 16-7-1), 5 p.m.

No. 6 Arlington/Riverside (Southern Section, 15-4-6) at No. 3 Lindsay (Central Section, 20-3-1), 5 p.m.

No. 7 Desert Mirage (Southern Section, 17-9-3) at No. 2 Cathedral Catholic (San Diego Section, 26-2-2), 7 p.m.

Coach Curt Bauer shared his thoughts on the new CIF Southern California Regionals.

"It's a new challenge," he said. "This is something that the state is going to try. It's a two-year pilot program with the boys and girls soccer and wanted to see how it works out. We're looking at it as a new challenge; anything we do here is icing on the cake."

I put in a call to La Habra coach Steve Aanderud but he did not answer. Word is the Highlanders declined invitation to the Division I SoCal Regional. Taking La Habra's place is Saddleback; a new chance to bring home some more hardware. The Highlanders defeated the Roadrunners, 2-1, to win their second consecutive CIF-SS Division III title. Here's the Division I Regional bracket:

No. 8 Newbury Park (Southern Section, 12-5-4) vs. No. 1 Santa Monica (Southern Section, 26-0-1) at Santa Monica College, 5 p.m.

No. 5 Clovis West (Central Section, 16-4-4) vs. No. 4 Banning (L.A. City Section, 16-4-4) at Harbor College, 5 p.m.

No. 6 Peninsula (Southern Section, 15-6-5) vs. No. 3 Roosevelt/Fresno (Central Section, 19-4-5) at Fresno Pacific, 5 p.m.

No. 7 Poway (San Diego Section, 20-2-4) vs. No. 2 Saddleback (Southern Section, 23-3-1), at Segerstrom High, 5 p.m.

Tuesday's winners advance to Thursday's semifinals. The tournament concludes on Saturday at Warren High of Downey. The Division I final is at 1 p.m.; the Division II final is at 3:30 p.m. and the Division III final is at 10:30 a.m.

***

GOT SOME COMMENTS in my Championship Recap blog. Freeway Fan opined on my dictating of coverage, that "the focus remains in Southern OC"

Folks from South OC ask why they get little coverage and folks in the North OC ask why they get little coverage. It's a losing battle. You wanna know how I pick a game to cover? I go to where I think will be the best match of the day. Sometimes there are several games that are worthy of covering. In that case I look at which team I have not covered yet. My goal during the regular season was to watch at least one game from every team ranked in the top 10 poll. I think I accomplished that with the exception of Fountain Valley. I thought the Freeway League got plenty of attention this year. La Habra, Fullerton, Sunny Hills and Buena Park all got headlines and/or photos in the paper.

To Mr. Patrick Sullivan, who asks why the "Register editors fail miserably at fair coverage".

Here was his post in my last blog:

Lets talk about coverage. By now you have seen the front page of the Register Sports section. MD loses and gets front page. SMCHS wins CIF for the 3rd time with 17 shutouts, 2 goals against since the first of the month, etc. etc. and your readers have to go to page 10 to find it. This is common, not unique. to this paper. It may not be your call, but it is your paper. You do a great service to sports, but the Register editors fail miserably at fair coverage. Why is that, Miguel? Sullivan

Patrick, I have no control  as to what placing my story gets in the paper. That decision is made by editors and the architect designing the pages.  The person to best answer your questions and concerns is Register high school editor Todd Harmonson. He can be reached at tharmonson@ocregister.com

My guess is stories of more interest land in the front page. This is why you'll never see a Lakers game story burried on page 12. And you'll never see a badminton or lacrosse story as a center piece in the front page. No disrespect or knock on badminton or lacrosse, but lets face it, there is more interest in basketball. My editor Todd can better answer your concern.

I'll talk to you guys on Tuesday.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

 But when the rain stopped here in Downey, it made for perfect soccer weather. On an overcast Saturday afternoon, Santa Margarita and La Habra (playing one mile apart) each were victorious and claimed a CIF-Southern Section championship.

The Eagles defeated Newbury Park, 1-0, and the Highlanders defeated Saddleback, 2-1.

Because the Division I and III finals were at the same time and at different sites I had to choose which game to cover. Naturally, I chose the final featuring two county teams.

Our Jonathan Kay covered the Santa Margarita-Newbury Park match so he has all the details in his story on OCVarsity.com.

My day started early at 8:30 a.m. as I headed to Mimi's Cafe on Firestone Blvd. to have breakfast with two county coaches and another reporter to talk All-County teams.

I got a chance to catch Santa Monica in its final against Jurupa Valley. Santa Monica won, 2-0. Sana Monica is ranked No. 2 in the nation and there were some spurts where they showed that, but I was not really impressed with them.

I watched the first half of the San Clemente-Long Beach Wilson Division I girls final. The Tritons scored on a picturesque pass from outside the box to the near post. San Clemente was leading, 1-0, at the half when I left Downey High for Warren High.

***

I HAD PREDICTED Saddleback would beat La Habra in the Division III final. The Roadrunners came out with a sense of urgency in the first half, penetrating early and often.

Edgar Bran was left frustrated heading intot he half. Each time he had the ball there were a swarm of defenders. Bran from what I can remember had the Highlanders' lone shot attempts in the match. He had two in the first half. The first shot attempt came on a header that barely got past the Saddleback keeper, and the other was a shot that sailed over the goal post with under a minute left in the first half.

Saddleback's constant attack in the first half resulted in a penalty kick after Edward Zepeda was tripped inside the box as he charged to attempt a shot.

Much to the dismay of the rowdy La Habra crowd, the referee awarded Saddleback with a penalty kick. From my view (standing behind the La Habra bench) it looked like a legit call. The ball had already gone through three defenders inside the box and nobody could clear it. Zepeda scored and put Saddleback up, 1-0, in the 22nd minute.

When the La Habra players headed to their bench at the half they looked frustrated. Saddleback was not surprised to be up 1-0 at the half. They knew they matched well against La Habra and their defense held it down, frustrating Bran in the process.

The match was a tale of two halves. La Habra's offense was ignited when a determined Bran took a pass and sent it to the back of the net three minutes into the second half.

Bran scored his 37th goal of the season on a beautiful header, leaping over three defenders and sending it over Saddleback's keeper and into the net to make it 2-1.

When Saddleback had its goal called back on offsides - that would have tied the score, 2-2 - I wasn't looking. I was looking at Bran's right shin which had developed a big bump and a bad bruise after his shin took a cleat. Bran was out for 10 minutes or so then went back into the game.

Omar Laris for Saddleback had scored what seemed to be the tying goal. Coach Mel Silva said the referee called a hand ball, but Coach Steve Aanderud said the sidelines judge raised his flag for an offsides call.

There were seven yellow cards issued in the game (Jonathan Prieto received a double-yellow) and one red card was issued to Pete Puga. From my view it looked like Puga said something to the referee, prompting the red card.

Near the end of the match, in my opinion, both teams played frantic soccer as one team tried to push the ball ahead while the other tried to clear it from getting anywhere near the box.

Say what you want about La Habra's physical style of play and their aggressiveness (leading to many of those yellow cards), but the Highlanders showed class, hugging and consoling the Saddleback players. Our photographer took a photo of Jonathan Prieto consoling Mauricio Gonzalez, a senior midfielder. This was Gonzalez's chance to finish on top. Prieto has one more year (and what a fun year it'll be to see this kid play; he's probably the most skilled player I've seen with the ball).

I got the chance to talk to Mel Silva after the match and said he was proud of his team, those who decided to stay with the team despite the temptation of leaving for the Academy or giving up period like others previously have.

I asked Steve Aanderud what it meant for his program to not only be back in the finals two years in a row, but to win it two years in a row.

Aanderud got teary. He was emotional and can you blame the guy? Many thought last year's success was a fluke, but Aanderud and his assistant, Frank McCarroll, helped guide the Highlanders to their second straight title.

***

AS I WALKED with Coach Mel Silva to his bus, I was heckled by the La Habra team, who ducked out the bus windows and kiddingly demanded why I picked them to lose. It's never easy to make these predictions. Honestly. I thought Saddleback matched up best against La Habra and thought they could beat them. Jonathan Prieto, though, said he thought the toughest team they'd face was Santa Maria.

As I made my way out the parking lot I rolled down my window and talked to the La Habra players who again ducked their head out the window, requesting I play a song they'd wanted to hear. But I don't listen to that kind of music. I did tell them I'd try and write a nice story about them. Two years in a row, how could I not? Nice of them to all say "thanks" for the articles written about them this year.

Championship Saturday it was.

***

GOT A FEW intersting comments in my last blog from OC soccer fan, hs, and donevo.

OC soccer fan asks if I had been sleeping all week. I take it this is in reference to my sleeping a lot since getting hit with the flu. I'm still not 100 percent but I'm feeling much better. OC soccer fan said I "talked a good game but NEVER came through".

"hs" said "I expect Miguel will have a fantastic excuse for why he did nothing this week." I had my finals preview run in the paper on Saturday and they also were online. I had already predicted Santa Margarita would win the final and that Saddleback would beat La Habra.

I don't have any excuses to offer but to say I'm sorry for lagging it. I should have come through when I said I'd have the Downes interview and a video interview and an updated blog. I'll take it like a man.

"Donevo" asks "Why is Santa margarita coverage so slim but you seem to be so over the top on Servite. You had a large article on how this is servites year but still nothing about smhs winning today. You guys have little objectivity. this has been going on for years."

My response: The story about Servite was a season preview story. My job is to pick one team and talk about their upcoming season. I chose Servite because they returned a lot of talent this year. Donevo, I suspect your identity but I will not out you. I will say, however, that I have given Santa Margarita its fair coverage. Photos in the paper, headlines and weekly notebooks about the Eagles in the playoffs. In fact, Santa Margarita had a headline two weeks straight in my Tuesday articles.

Let this be clear: I do NOT root for any teams. I root for the best story. I have no ties to Orange County. I do not live in Orange County, I did not grow up in Orange County nor I attended school in the OC. I grew up in Los Angeles and bounced around from school to school and graduated from Alhambra High, which competes in the Almont League.

I talked to a fair share of SM parents at the SM-Mater Dei game and all said were happy with the coverage this year. And look, I'm a personable guy. If you have a point to make I'd like to hear it. You can come up to me, introduce yourself and I'll hear you out. That goes to everybody and anybody who sees me at their games. I always enjoy a little chit-chat.

***

I HAD THE chance to talk for a minute with Coach Curt Bauer as they unloaded their charter bus and into the locker room. From afar, the Eagles looked so indimidating. Folks nearby whispered, asking "Who are they?" Showmanship can go a long way and the Eagles certainly made theirs count. Bauer looked focused as ever. After I wished him luck I asked him who he had winning the Saddleback-La Habra match. He acknowledged he hadn't seen either play but said he would have to go with La Habra. Arguably the most knowledgeable coach in the game, was right.

***

WHAT A LONG day. It started with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and it's ending at 9:19 p.m. with the closing of this blog. But I'll be back tomorrow with the CIF Southern California Regional brackets, which will be released by CIF on Sunday. The semifinals are Tuesday and finals are Saturday at Warren High and Downey High.

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or concerns don't hesitate to contact me at mmelendez@ocregister.com I'm always open for dialogue so long as your inquiry is respectful and courteous.

I'm signing out.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

The CIF-Southern Section Division I and III finals will feature county teams as I'm sure you all know by now. Newbury Park takes on top-seed Santa Margarita and top-seed Saddleback and third-seed La Habra square off in a rematch of last year's Division III final.

A couple coaches, myself and another reporter will be having breakfeast at Mimi's Cafe in Downey on Firestone (just across the street and next to Warren High) in Downey. It's looking like we'll be there at 8:30 a.m. and then head out to the first match which I'm guessing is scheduled for 10 a.m. But the official word on times/sites will be released Thursday.

I know last week I said I would do an in-studio interview on Wednesday morning to recap the playoffs and breakdown the finals. My plan was to get up in the morning, make breakfast, go jogging and then head out to our studio in the Register's third-floor newsroom.

But my little sister will start in her first basketball game on Wednesday. She's a freshman and is on the frosh/soph team at Bell High (City-Section school; not sure why the frosh/soph team starts its season so late). So my dilema is deciding whether a) miss the in-studio, 11 a.m. interview to make my sister's 2 p.m. game ... b) drive to Santa Ana, then drive back to Downey for the 2 p.m. game then drive BACK to Santa Ana for a nifty day at the office ... or c) do the interview, stay at the office all day and miss my sister's game. I've been laying on the couch going over it back and forth. Honestly, I'lll know in the morning.

Regardless, I won't break down the finals in a story on the Web until sometime Wednesday evening anyway.

I have lots of color from the Mater Dei-Santa Margarita match that did not make the newspaper: the crowd on both sides, some questionable referee moves (but that in my opinion didn't impact the game), and my interview with Mater Dei coach Martin Stringer, who I found on the Monarchs sidelines during halftime of the girls semifinals game.

***

LOOKS LIKE WE have a new audiance coming to us straight from Newbury Park, CA. I gotta be honest, I had no idea Newbury Park was a city.  When I first heard of Newbury Park I looked in my CIF book to see what city they are in and turns out they're actually a city. I got an e-mail from a Newbury Park fan not long ago:

Hi -

Heard of Newbury Park High School now?

Ummm ... I guess. But when I said "Newbury Park came out of nowhere" it wasn't meant as a knock down to the Newbury Park boys soccer team. Think Canoga Park High from last year when they came to the West Coast Classic and dominated everybody and went on to win the CIF City-Section championship.

***

I TALKED TO A FEW Santa Margarita and Mater Dei fans during and after the match. Some asked how I was feeling (I have been battling the flu the last two weeks or so). I jogged about two miles this morning and after my jog I couldn't stop coughing. It got real bad. But after a Halls cough drop I felt much better. Surprisingly because I had been eating those (and medicine, too) but they were not helpful at all.

***

I HAVE NOT talked to La Habra coach Steve Aanderud but I gotta imagine he's excited about heading back to the finals. The Highlanders are a very talented group. By the way, mad props to Johnson who gave his analysis of the La Habra-El Rancho match. I think Johnson wants to send me to the unemployment line. And also, great job by the other soccer freaks who have chimed on their toughts for All-County. Clearly we have a very knowledgeable group of high school soccer fans. I'm a little insecure now. Actually, no I'm not. Just wanted to make you guys feel good.

I did talk to Saddleback coach Mel Silva. I know he's excited about heading back to the finals and to be facing the Highlanders in the final. What match that's going to be. Both teams have the speed and play an up-tempo style which will make fun soccer to watch. And the weather I hear is gonna be great, too.

***

ALSO COMING LATER will be my interview with Santa Margarita defender Roger Downes. Very smart and articulate player. Gives great quotes and not every high school athlete can give good quotes. Ever notice I almost never quote high school kids in my stories? Well, sometimes I do make exceptions.

***

MY COACH OF the Year has already been picked. Good luck trying to beat it out of me.

***

WHEN SATURDAY ENDS it won't mean high school soccer does, too. We still have the Southern California Regionals, which begin on Tuesday. More on that soon.

That's it for now. Maybe sometime Wednesday afternoon you'll have a link of my video breaking down the finals and a recap of the playoffs.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

 Coach Steve Aanderud crossed his fingers and looked up to the sky, hoping his team would win the coin flip and get the home site. At Thursday's match against Santa Ana Valley, La Habra fans attended in strong numbers and no doubt having home advantage helped the Highlanders.

***

I WILL BE covering Santa Margarita at Mater Dei on Tuesday. I hear Mater Dei has a home game that day too but I could be wrong. (Sorry, I don't really follow girls soccer).

***

MY NEW BUDDY Johnson went 6-6 in his last round of predictions. If I remember correctly I went 6-4. At best we are all making educated guesses. And yes, Johnson, I'm feeling much better. Thank you. I actually went out last night (I never seem to learn my lesson) and when I got to my destination with my friend I asked him, "What am I doing here?"

***
JOHNSON, I LIKED your analysis of the La Habra-Valley game. Very well-put and like yourself, I thought Valley would have stepped it up after La Habra scored its first goal on a penalty kick. But to no avail.

I thought Jacob Barron was fouled OUTSIDE the box. Coach Aanderud thought the same and so did Santa Ana Valley coach Jose Sanchez. But unfortunately for Valley, the referee and the sidelines judge thought they saw the foul occur inside the box. When Barron converted the penalty kick that really sucked the wind (if any) out of Valley.

And I agree with Johnson, Valley's goal was picturesque. It sailed over the defenders and beautifully hit the post and inside the net.

***

I'M CURIOUS, WHAT did you guys think of the Fullerton-Saddleback game? I read Bill masterfully disected the outcome. Nice. What do you guys think of Los Alamitos moving on? And is Santa Margarita-Mater Dei the BEST match out there? What's up with Santa Margarita winning 1-0 the whole way through?

***

I JUST GOT off the phone with Orange Lutheran coach Steve Harder and he will chime with his analysis of each playoffs game. Coach Harder's team played against Santa Margarita, Mater Dei and La Habra, and he knows about Saddleback and Los Alamitos, so be sure to look for his and my analysis coming sometime Saturday evening around 7:30-8 p.m.

***

COUGH COUGH COUGH, sniff sniff ... I'm not exactly 100 percent so tonight I will be a good boy and stay in. If you guys post any comments between now and midnight I will be reading them. Consider it a live-chat if you will.

***

PADREDECALCIO ... I'm glad you find my predictions/analysis fun to read. And yes I did see how Johnson went in his latest round of predictions. As long as you and the rest of the soccer freaks enjoy them I will keep them coming. Oh, and Johnson, I wasn't CLAIMING that you went 22-4 (whatever the record was). I was simply saying that you were gloating, which means you were showing off. C'mon, lets get the accusations right!! lol

***

COMING NEXT WEDNESDAY I will have a treat for you guys and do an in-studio interview and break down the finals. I know I've been saying I will have the video but things have come up and I have not been able to make the travel from Downey to our Santa Ana studios on Wednesday mornings. But I will make the trip this Wednesday given we're heading to the final round.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading. And be sure to share your thoughts about the upcoming games and share your predictions.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

p.s. Johnson, I don't need your help writing my articles. I've done just fine the last eight years. And I'm only 24-years-old. Do the math =) Thanks for offering though!

I will be covering Santa Margarita at Mater Dei on Tuesday. Los Alamitos plays Newbury Park in the other semifinal. Saddleback plays Santa Ynez and La Habra takes on El Rancho in Division III. Looks like the Roadrunners will travel the distances for its semifinal match while a coin flip on Friday will determine Tuesday's site between La Habra and El Rancho.

***

I TOOK SOME pretty strong medicine on Wednesday night that knocked me out pretty good. I didn't wake up until about 1:45 p.m. Thursday. Just enough time to shower and head out to La Habra High.

There was a large crowd attending the game. One would have thought there was a football game going on. OK, maybe not that packed but picture a football crowd minus those that leave their seats at halftime to grab food.

It was very cloudy and cold. I learned my lesson from covering Sunny Hills last week and I bundled up; two sweaters and a wool coat. Thankfully it didn't rain.

As I have been the last two times I've covered La Habra, I was very impressed with Jonathan Prieto. He's only a junior. He has great foot work and he can dance with the ball around defenders.

I thought Santa Ana Valley played uncharacteristically. They couldn't get into a flow. La Habra simply was much too physical and aggressive. The look on the Falcons' faces to me seemed not of disappointment but more of disbelief; almost as if they couldn't believe seeing the scoreboard: Home 4, Visitor 1.

***

COMING FRIDAY WILL be my semifinals predictions. I went 6-4 in my predictions. Not Johnson-esque, but I'll live with it.

In Tuesday's paper I will have my semifinals breakdown of every game so be sure to look for that in the paper. I have to head out. But I will update this blog Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com

Thanks for the comments Coach, Horacio!, and Pundit my man, lets tone it down with the Servite bashing. Nobody likes a hater =D

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register (2:46 p.m.)

***

I CALLED IN sick Tuesday. The flu seems to be spreading and it hit me pretty hard Sunday night. I spent all of Monday in bed but with my laptop on my lap and typing away my notebook, playoffs schedule and analysis/predictions.

But when I woke up Tuesday morning I could barely talk, my eyes were watery and my body was aching. So as much as I wanted to cover Loara at Foothill I sent my editor a message and took a sick day.

But after a few uncomfortable naps I woke up and logged on to OCVarsity.com and saw a score that shocked me:

San Clemente 2, Servite 1.

Which brings me to our new buddy 'Pundit'. He has left several comments in several of my stories and in my last blog. He wrote:

 Lousy reporting with more opinion than fact as in the Academy slam by Melendez merits more opinion as in the article was a piece of garbage

He also disected my boys soccer preview with his very own notes after almost each paragraph. Who knew I had another editor?

In one those comments he said:

OPINIONS ARE LIKE........ EVERYONE HAS ONE

Uhhhh ... Yeah. The funny thing is I probably know who this 'Pundit' person is, but I will not out him. Maybe he'll do the noble thing and put his name behind his words. This person doesn't seem to be a Trinity League fan because he also took a stab at Santa Margarita.

The Eagles are the next to fall as in each of their two playoff games, they have been pushed and are squeeking by on a one goal game.

Oh boy. Why can't we all just get along?

***

GOT AN E-MAIL from a Foothill parent:

I tried to find someone who knew what you looked like... would've enjoyed meeting you and swapping analysis.

Hope you made the game.

... The one goal was a great run up the left side by Alex Keto and a great left-foot cross that was headed in by Kyle Dylewski ... All in all an excellent soccer game... a great defensive struggle. (you were pretty spot on with your prediction... minus the PK's!)

Thanks for the e-mail, and the update. Our very own Artie Casas covered the game in my place. You can read it in Wednesday's paper on online.

***

SUNNY HILLS, VILLA Park and Aliso Niguel did not report scores. The Lancers lost, 1-0, to Santa Ynez. I talked to Coach Mike Schade for a bit and he told me Sunny Hills scored a late goal but was negated on an off-sides call. Schade said they reviewed the tape after the match and according to Schade it was a bad call ... Villa Park also lost, 1-0, to West Torrance and Aliso Niguel lost, 3-0, to Quartz Hill.

Schade, Mike Staubber and Randy Dodge all had a great season and should be commended for getting the most out of their teams.

(Now that I think about it, I think my flu stemmed from watching a game at Sunny Hills High in the wild-card game. It was a very cold afternoon and I was not wearing a coat.)

***

EL TORO AND Brea Olinda also lost, 1-0, to Peninsula and Chaparral respectively.

***

ANOTHER GREAT DAY for Santa Ana-based high schools. Mater Dei in Division I, Santa Ana, Santa Ana Valley, Century and Saddleback in Division III all advanced to Thursday's quarterfinals. When was the last time THAT happened?

***

COMING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON my "opinionated" analysis and predictions of Thursday's quarterfinals matches.

MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register

mmelendez@ocregister.com