**Downey’s Jalen Free (83) controls the ball in a CIF-SS D2 quarterfinal boys soccer game Monday (Feb. 16). Downey defeated El Dorado, 1-0.** (Photo by Luis Sanchez)

DOWNEY – An unbelievable bicycle kick goal by junior forward Diego Garity sent the Downey Boys Soccer team into the CIF-Southern Section D2 semifinals for the first time in school history Monday (Feb. 16).

“The kids are excited that they got to this point in the season,” Downey coach Andy Contreras said. “We got to go and finish it strong.

“The goal by Garita was a moment of magic I guess, a once in a lifetime moment that you have to try things. This culture that we have built this year and this brotherhood between the players has taken us this far.”

With the win, Downey improved to 15-4-6 and will take on Newport Harbor Saturday (Feb. 21) in the semifinals.

In a scoreless back and forth quarterfinal game between host El Dorado and Downey, Garity, who came in with 12 goals scored in 24 games, took a perfect corner kick from junior Justin Trinidad at the top of the box and timed his bicycle kick with a shot that found the top of the right corner of the goal in the 66th minute.

“I just saw it (ball) in the air and it was behind me and I had to go for it and went for it and boom, you never know and you got to try those,” said Garity, of his game-winning goal. “I’m grateful that it went in and grateful for my teammates who have always supported me and now we’re on to round four (semifinals) and hopefully win it all.”

Garity was on the bench for a while in the second half, but just before he went back in, he said that his coach Andy Contreras said to him, “’he pointed to me and said ‘Garita, it’s going to be you, you’re going to be the one to score the goal.’”

A few minutes later, Garita explained how he just kept trying for the winner.

“About five minutes off the bench, I just kept pushing for it and I got it,” he added. “Thanks to my coach, he always pushes me and brings out the best in me and I’m grateful,” Garity added.

El Dorado came into the game with two previous CIF championships in 2002 and 2017.

Early on both teams went back and forth with Downey getting an early scoring chance at the midway point as senior Steven Castillo passed the ball into junior Juan Guilermo Medina, who took a shot inside the box but was blocked by their senior goalie, Aidan Enyeart.

Castillo led the team in assists in the season with 16.

On the counter seconds later, El Dorado’s Ruben Caastellanos took a long shot, which was wide right of the goal.

At the 25-minute mark, Downey sophomore goal keeper Isaiah Villagrana made a big save in close by El Dorado sophomore Owen Guenther.

Another Viking scoring chance came at the 33rd minute when junior transfer Eduardo Gonzalez, Jr. took a pass from Castillo, who dropped it back to Gonzalez for a hard shot directly at the El Dorado goalie, but was stopped.

In stoppage time, Castillo took a one-timer in close but was also stopped by their keeper.

The first half ended in a 0-0 tie.

Gonzalez, Jr., who leads the team in goals with 13, was held in check but was very active, especially with Castillo.

“It was just unfortunate, but I was taking as many shots as I could, but their goalie was really good,” Gonzalez, Jr. said. “Thankfully Garita, our number nine, scored a banger and we’re into the next round.”

A big turnaround for the Vikings came after a 5-0 loss early in the season that led to a 2-3-1 start.

They reeled off 14 games without a loss, which included nine wins.

“After that game against JSerra (5-0 loss), that really woke us up and after that we just started connecting,” said Gonzalez, Jr., who didn’t play in that game because he was a transfer from Warren. “It feels good to make it this far into the semifinals.”

Contreras on his defense said, “Everyone defensively, overall did well as a team, we got the shutout.”

With the shutout, sophomore goalie Isaiah Villagrana recorded his sixth of the season.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Vikings defeated Salesian, 3-2 in overtime.

After a 2-0 lead midway through the second half, Downey woke up and five minutes later, Castillo scored to trail, 2-1. With five minutes left in regulation, Gonzalez, Jr. scored to tie the game 2-2, which sent the game into the first 10-minute OT.

After a scoreless first OT, junior Jalen Free scored the golden goal with four minutes left in the second OT. Downey was fouled in its half of the field. Senior Asher Elvis Hernandez played the ball to Justin Trinidad. He found Castillo, who dribbled through three defenders and fought off a 50/50 ball and found Free who cut in and found the far post. “That game was nerve wracking and thrilling,” said Contreras, of the win.

In the second-round 2-1 win over Shadow Hills, the Vikings trailed, 1-0 in the first half.

They made a couple of adjustments at the break and came out strong in the second half with 18-20 shots on goal.

Gonzalez, Jr. scored with 30 seconds left in regulation off of a free kick to tie the game, 1-1.

They ended the game with a corner kick to Garita, who headed the ball in for the golden goal.

“We were confident going into OT and composed enough to get the result,” Contreras said.

What they said:

Alessandro Guzman, senior midfielder: “I think we were dominating the possession the whole time. It took a lot of chances to finally get to the keeper, but we were able to overcome our challenges and come out with the dub (Win).

It feels great because we have been stuck in the first round the last couple of years and it feels great to make history.”

Isaiah Villagrana, sophomore goalie: “He (El Dorado goalie) really made some good saves and kept them in the game.

I think I did good but props to my defenders (Omar Vargus, Justin Trinidad and Matt Lopez). I feel like we really stopped them and never got tired.

It felt amazing. To be honest, I thought it (ball) was going to go out.”

Millikan 1, Warren 0 (Quarterfinal)

Unfortunately, the defending CIF D2 Champions lost in the 2026 quarterfinals to Millikan. Millikan scored early in the second half (48th minute).

Their defense of their championship began with wins against Yorba Linda in the first round with goals by Joceline “Jo Jo” Coro with a free kick in the 25th minute and Allison Bravo with a header off of Coro’s corner kick to send them into OT. In the PKs, the Bears had goals by Bravo, Ami Noguera and Helen Soriano. Junior goalie Rin Soto saved three back-to-back PKs.

In the second round, the Bears defeated La Habra in OT. Miley Chacon scored off a corner kick from Coro in the final 10 minutes against La Habra to send the game into OT. In the PKs, Bravo’s shot was stopped by the keeper, followed by goals from Noguera, Coro, Jazlene Caravantes and Sophia Saucedo.

To win the game, Soto saved a PK and a La Habra shooter missed a goal.

Palmdale Aerospace Academy 5, PMA 4

The Warriors lost in PKs in the Cif D6 quarterfinals, after first round and second round shut outs over Citrus Hill (3-0) and Norta Vista 1-0.