The562’s coverage of Millikan athletics in the 2023-24 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
Millikan played like Moore League boys’ soccer champions at home on Friday night, so it’s apropos that the 2-1 win over Wilson clinches the Rams at least a share of their second consecutive league title.
The Rams (13-3-4, 8-1-1) were absolutely dominant in the first half while taking a lead and limiting the Bruins (9-5-3, 6-4-1) to a pair of late shots in the opening 40 minutes. Millikan doubled their lead in the second half, and then when Wilson scored late on to make it close again, the Rams turned up the defensive heat to secure the victory.
“We’re hyped up, trying to go for that two-peat,” Millikan senior Sergio Flores said. “Last year we only won (league title) by one point so every game is important.”
Millikan has games next week against Lakewood and Cabrillo to see out the regular season and regain the outright title. The Rams are six points clear of second-place Long Beach Poly. Both teams have two league games left in the regular season.
Millikan outshot Wilson 12-6 and the Bruins didn’t get their first shot on goal until the last kick of the ball in the first half when Luke Garza nearly equalized for the visitors.
Before that, Flores gave the home team a lead in the 25the minute when he ran onto a ball left off deftly by Owen Edwards at the top of the box.
“I had to bring up my team because they’ve been waiting for it,” said Flores, who hadn’t scored a league goal this season. “(The goal) was all in slow motion. I told my teammate to dummy it and I was waiting at the top of the box. He laid it off to me… I hit it with the inside of my left foot, the goalie almost got it but it went right under him and I was hyped, as you could see in my celebration.”
“He is a great kid and everybody loves him,” Millikan coach Jeff Schofield said of Flores. “He had been playing wide and in a couple games he kind of got lost so we put him back in the middle and he’s been great the last couple of games so I’m happy for him.”
Millikan forward Andrew Estrada was a handful on the left flank and opened up the game with his pace. That led to a few golden opportunities for the Rams to score again, but they went to halftime up 1-0.
“Overall we were really good, especially in the first half,” Schofield said. “It’s just unfortunate that we didn’t get more goals as the product because then it becomes a dog fight at the end because you’ve got to dodge long throws and free kicks.”
Wilson did what it does best in the second half and earned a string of set pieces to build some momentum. Miles Frazier provided some fantastic service into the box, but headers from Ian Bond and Lucca Pires sailed over the crossbar.
At the other end in the 52nd minute, Millikan striker Aaron De Leon pounced on a long ball forward and his shot deflected high off Wilson goalkeeper Grayson Gilmore and into the goal for a 2-0 lead.
The Bruins responded with some of their best play after the second goal and finally broke through in the 70th minute when Michael Ulloa banged home a goal off a Millikan defender.
Both teams ratcheted up the intensity in the final 10 minutes, but Millikan goalkeeper Diego Ramirez and center back Orlando Rost organized their defense with their voices to fend off an equalizer. Ramirez finished with three saves.
“It’s just trying to be encouraging to everybody,” Rost said of communicating on the field with purpose. “It’s not necessarily getting on people for making a mistake, but helping and assisting them in making the changes so they play better, improve on their own game and build that motivation on the field. (Me and Ramirez) commanding the team from the back really helps keep us organized, motivated, hungry, disciplined, strong and positive.”
“I think he’s the best defender in the league and his voice was great tonight,” Schofield said of Rost. “There were a lot of times where there could’ve been some miscommunication, but he took charge of the situation and cleared balls great. He’s an emotional leader.”
Wilson has to feel hard done by after a rough week of games against top four teams Lakewood, Poly and Millikan. The Bruins have one game against Jordan left in the regular season.
CIF Southern Section playoff brackets will be released on Feb. 3.
