The562’s high school soccer coverage for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Long Beach Poly soccer alum Kennedy Justin.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
It was hard to watch the Wilson girls’ soccer team’s Division 3 playoff opener without asking yourself, ‘What if?’
Less than two hours before the match Wilson was notified that star sisters and Miami commits Kai and Zoie Fontenot would be unavailable, leaving the Bruins with two massive voids to fill. The losses loomed large early and often, as La Canada took an early lead and never looked back to defeat a shorthanded Wilson team 2–0.
“I’m just proud of the girls that were available,” said Wilson coach Brian Irvin. “ I thought that they battled and worked hard. We had chances but we just couldn’t finish, and that’s soccer. Our motto is to outwork our opponent, and at times I think we did that tonight, but it just wasn’t our night.”
Despite being unable to play, the Fontenot sisters were both present on the Wilson sideline for the opener dressed in street clothes. According to Irvin, both girls were simply “unavailable” for the match.
With the loss of the dynamic twins, La Canada was able to strike early thanks to a productive night from senior striker Samantha Hosford. In the 5th minute, Hosford dribbled and curved in from midfield toward the left post, outrunning the Wilson backline before sending a ball off her left foot into the far side of the goal.
“She’s a great player,” Irvin said of Hosford. “She just had some speed and got behind us. It happened quickly and I didn’t fully get to see what happened, but that’s just a good player and a good finish.”
The Spartans controlled most of the half after their early goal, earning three corner kicks to Wilson’s one. Hosford put two more shots on target in the half, including one that rattled the right post.
Wilson’s best chance of the period came in the final minute of the half, as Ryan Sorensen put a set piece high on target from the left corner of the box, but it was saved by La Canada goalkeeper Samantha Drobis with a leaping effort.
Irvin made several changes after the break, moving Sorensen forward in hopes of creating more chances near midfield while slotting freshman Ella George out wide to generate pressure. The adjustments helped the Bruins produce a more eventful second half in which they earned three corner kicks and put shots on goal through George and Evan Cassidy, but came up empty-handed.
On the other end, La Canada took advantage of a set piece at the top right corner of the box, as Alyssa Dahya sent a ball through traffic along the ground that tapped off the inside of Hosford’s foot and past the keeper. Hosford’s second goal of the night came in the 72nd minute, as the Spartans cruised through the final minutes to a 2–0 win.
The loss marked Wilson’s fourth straight first-round playoff exit in four years, though it was the program’s first home playoff game since 2022. Afterward, Irvin echoed his feelings for the seniors while reflecting on his team’s future.
“I just feel bad for my seniors because it’s their last moment on this field,” Irvin said. “We’ll get to celebrate them at our banquet, but now we just have to get motivated for next year and get ourselves in position so we can get past the first round.”
La Canada is set to host Costa Mesa in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs on Saturday.
