Boys Soccer: An Up-and-Down Season for Titans

Coming into the final stretch of the season, the Poway High boys soccer team seemed to having everything going for it. 

Even after losing many of their starters from the previous year, the Titans started out by winning both of their preseason tournaments, and stayed undefeated through their first 25 games. Poway then started to receive national attention, being ranked in the top 10 in the nation by ESPNRise.com, at one point rising as high as second. 

Then tragedy struck.

Junior sweeper and emotional leader Sean Gallagher was the victim of an on-field assault by a Ramona High player that left him with several broken bones in his face.

“We played them before and nothing seemed to be different than any other game,” said Gallagher, recalling the incident. “Once he hit me I felt no pain, just shock. I didn’t know what would happen.”

Gallagher missed the rest of the season and the playoffs due to injuries sustained in the attack.

“It looked like he had gotten shot,” said Titans coach Gene Morris. “It was unprovoked and uncalled for.

“He was our shut down defender and fearless leader on the field. You can’t replace someone like that.”

The assault prompted a turn for the worse in the Titans season. Poway (24-2-3) went on to suffer its only two losses of the year in its final four games. Both losses came against fellow Palomar League teams, both ranked in the Top 50, and both had previous losses against Poway on the year.

Westview gave the Titans their first defeat of the season, 2-1, and went on to share the Palomar League title with Poway.

Then in the playoffs, the top-seeded Titans were upset by Torrey Pines 5-3 in the semifinals of the CIF San Diego Section. To put that in perspective, Poway had only given up five goals in their previous 10 league games. 

Still, the Titans finished the year ranked 31st in the country and broke their school record for wins in a season, meaning there will be some big shoes to fill in the 2011-12 season. 

The team will be losing eight starters, including both of their forwards, their team captains and their starting goalie. One of the captains, Evan Myers, led the team in scoring with 26 goals and was named the Palomar League Player of the Year. The other captain, senior Kevin Meyer, was named to the Palomar League second team. The team will also be losing goalie Zach McDonnell who had nine shutouts on the year and was named to the first team in the Palomar League. 

Even with all the losses,  Morris remains optimistic about the Titans' chances for next season.

“We don’t expect to go undefeated, but we will be favored for another league title and expect to contend in CIF,” said Morris. “We might have lost a lot of players, but I know we will come back as the best defensive team in the county next year.”

Leading the defensive charge for next year will be returning starters Gallagher and Ben Faller, who was named to the second team in the Palomar League. Phillip Bru, who averaged less than a goal allowed per appearance for the Titans in 2010-11, will return as a keeper.

Eric Budniewski will lead the offense next season for the Titans, coming off a standout year in which he had 19 goals and 22 assists to lead the team in points. He was named to the Palomar League first team.

Also joining the team next year will be a group of junior varsity players who finished the year at 17-2 and are expected to make big contributions on varsity. 

“We play as a team here,” said Morris. “We don’t care who scores or who gets the stats, we just want to win as a team.”

----------------------------------------------

 For more on the Titans soccer program, visit the team website or go to MaxPreps.