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 Cabrillo Athletics is sponsored by the Cohn Family.
This year’s version of the Cabrillo girls’ soccer team has a tough act to follow.
Last winter, the Jags not only won their first playoff game in program history, they made it to the CIF-SS quarterfinals before a 1-0 home loss derailed their hopes at a title.
The obvious goal would be to build on that momentum, but the circumstances around this season will make that a challenge. Most notably, the Jags lost 10 seniors off last year’s quarterfinal squad. Not only that, they’ll have a new coach this season as former JV coach Raul Magallon has stepped up to replace Adriana Santillan in leading the varsity squad.
“Coach Adriana and last year’s team set an incredibly high standard,” said Magallon. “That group left a legacy of grit, teamwork, and belief—one that our returning players are proud to carry forward. Their success laid the foundation for the expectations we bring into this season, and we’re excited to build on the momentum they created. Losing 10 seniors is significant, but it’s also opened the door for a lot of players who are hungry for their opportunity, and that’s brought an awesome energy into our preseason.”
One of the key returners who brings leadership and calmness to the pitch is senior Emily Vazquez. She’s got the ability to play defender or on the wing, though she prefers attacking and setting up goalscoring opportunities for her teammates. She played a big part in last season’s success and hopes to pass that down to the newer players around her.
“The experience was really amazing,” said Vazquez of the quarterfinal run. “I felt happy, and I was really happy for the team, because we worked hard for it. So it was a really good experience.”
Vazquez says there’s a difference in coaching styles this season, but said she’s enjoyed the preseason training under Magallon.
“Coach Raul is a really good coach,” Vazquez said. “He’s really good on how to be strict with us, which is amazing because we haven’t really had strict coaching that much. He’s been really good with us, he’s been patient, and he’s been working hard on us so we can do a little bit better for the upcoming season.”
Magallon says Melanie Ortiz is one of the most dynamic playmakers on the roster and is a competitive player out on the field.
He’s also seen improvement from Layla Hernandez, one of the younger players on the team who he says brings effort and positivity every day.
One other major bright spot that Magallon is taking pride in, is that for the first time ever Cabrillo will be able to field all three levels this season–frosh/soph, JV, and varsity. He hopes this will lay the groundwork for more successful seasons in the future as more players get the chance to hone their skills and develop a sustainable program for kids on the Westside.
“Our goal this season is to compete with pride, grow every single day, and establish a culture that elevates every athlete in our program,” Magallon stated. “I love working with this group because they embrace challenges, trust the process, and truly enjoy playing for one another.”
The Jags will play their first five matches of the season away from home, including a trip to Compton for their Moore League opener on Dec. 4.
Cabrillo will then play its home opener on Dec. 9 against Lakewood before hosting fellow Long Beach squad St. Anthony on Dec. 16 in an interesting non-league matchup.
