By Mike Finnerty
mike.finnerty@surewestsports.com
Since 1997, the Jesuit Marauders and the Davis Blue Devils have combined to win 12 of the last 14 Sac-Joaquin Section’s Division I boy’s soccer championships, but the two soccer powerhouses have only met twice in the title match, last year, and again this year.
Saturday at Cosumnes Oaks High School, Davis avenged their loss to Jesuit from a year ago, prevailing 5-3 on penalty kicks for a final score of 7-5, following a 2-2 tie after regulation and a pair of 10 minute over time periods.
The Division I match was the nightcap of a day filled with soccer, putting these two long time rivals on center stage once again in front of a typically large Davis-Jesuit crowd.
As you might expect, the match was testy and physical throughout. Yellow cards issued, minor skirmishes taking place, but that was nothing new for these two teams.
Kaba Alkebulan put Jesuit up 1-0 in the 26th minute, but the lead held for only three and half minutes when Davis’ Matt Austin scored to tie it a 1-1, and that would be the score by halftime.
It took Jesuit just a minute into the second half to seize the lead back at 2-1 when Miguel De Sousa beat his defender from the right side and put the ball in the net for the early advantage.
Davis tied the scored at 2-2 on a Tom Nolan goal with 7:45 left in the match.
It all game down to penalty kicks where Connor Anderson and Jacob Weiss put Davis up 4-3 when Blue Devils goal keeper Derek Pleasants drove to his right and got a much needed block on Jesuit’s second attempt.
Emmanuel Medina and Collin Holtz put Davis up 5-3 and 6-4 respectively, and with Davis needing one more penalty kick to secure the title, they got from Ben Slavich who turned around walked back calmly when he was mobbed by his teammates and the celebration ensued.