Boys’ soccer advance to playoffs semi-finals
The Samo boys’ varsity soccer team has had a season of immense success, earning the title of Ocean league champs and league tournament champs, in addition to qualifying for CIF-SS Open-Division playoffs for the first time in school history. Although they had a disheartening season last year, having an overall record of 9-10-1, the Samo boys’ varsity soccer team has come back soaring. The Vikings showed a renewed spirit and determination that propelled them to the top of the Ocean League, where they stayed the league leaders all season long. With an overall record of 22-2-1 as of Feb. 16, and a perfect record of 8-0 in league, coach Chris Sandoval’s (’16) team are aiming to secure the success they fell short of last season: a CIF playoff run. Sandoval gives his take on how playoffs will go for the Vikings.
“[CIF] is gonna be tough. It's gonna be a long road and playoffs are a whole different beast in itself,” Sandoval said. “It's gonna be difficult but I think the boys are more than prepared.”
The turnaround for Samo’s soccer program has been nothing short of impressive, the Vikings are now outpacing their previous efforts, with the team displaying an unrivaled sense of teamwork and organization. Samo competed in the Ocean League Tournament on Jan. 29 through Feb. 4, beating Hawthorne 5-0, Leuzinger 6-1 and Culver City. In league finals, Samo beat Culver 3-1in a heated game and proceeded to be league champions. Coach Sandoval gives his reaction to the league tournament win.
“We set up an expectation to win, to go 8-0 in league and to win the league tournament and that’s exactly what we did,” Sandoval said. “We celebrate today, and tomorrow we look forward to playoffs next week”.
The Vikings, with a team consisting of mainly seniors leading the way, have bought into a holistic approach that puts people first, players second. Samo midfielder Deacon Miller (’26) elaborates on the teamwork Samo fosters, and his personal highlights of being on the team.
“This year, our team is more connected, my favorite part of being on Samo soccer is getting to play with all my friends,” Miller said. “My highlight of this season was scoring against Culver City in the finals of our league”.
That trust has manifested in both offensive and defensive dominance. The Vikings’ attack is spearheaded by players like forward Nathan Schlepp (’26), who was awarded player of the most recent Hawthorne match. Schlepp expresses what he believes the outcome of the first playoff game against Crossroads will go on Feb. 13.
“I think we’re actually gonna do pretty well in playoffs, because we’ve already played Crossroads once, so we’re gonna beat them this time,” Schlepp said.
The constant focus mentioned by Sandoval and his players throughout the season has translated into blowout victories, which is represented in their current 12-0 win streak, including non-league and league games alike. The Vikings are putting in the work in restoring their previously impressive reputation, and the likelihood of placing highly in playoffs is only improving as the season progresses. Their ability to close out games with decisive victories and avoid conceding goals has made them one of the most formidable teams in the league.
As the Vikings march in to CIF-SS Open-Division playoffs, their stats and commitment give more than enough evidence that they are a team to be reckoned with. With a strong senior class and several promising younger players, the team’s future is bright, and the road to CIF champions is wide open. The Samo boys’ varsity soccer team has firmly established themselves as the top contenders in the Ocean League - and with a well-rounded team, they are destined for a deep run in the playoffs.
The first leg of CIF was a home game on Feb. 13 against Crossroads where Samo won 1-0, with a penalty for Khaelan Zeitlin (’26). The away leg, played at Belmar due to Crossroads’ field not meeting CIF standards, finished 1-2 at the end of regulation time, meaning the aggregate score was 2-2 and golden goal extra time would be necessary to separate the two teams. Samo went on to beat Crossroads 3-2 on aggregate with heavy thanks to Gabriel Sherman ('25), a division one commit to Cal State Fullerton and the player who scored the Vikings' first goal early in the second half before netting the golden goal winner to complete his brace.
The Samo boys’ varsity soccer team is set to face JSerra Catholic on Feb. 19 in the semi-finals of CIF-SS Open-Division playoffs.