For the first time in Norton’s history, a sports team made it to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section championships and beat Villanova Prep in their first match with a 2-1 win. Norton’s boys’ soccer team remained undefeated for this school year’s season, racking up 13 wins and two ties. That record is greatly improved from last school year in which Norton ended with 14 wins, 10 losses, and two ties.
Boys soccer coach Victor Varela said that he believed all along the team could make it to CIF this year.
“We have a great group of players,” Varela said. “The majority are seniors, and we learned a lot from last year’s season, so we came into this year really feeling like we know what we need to do to win.”
For Varela, though, it is not just about game strategy. He added that a core reason for the team’s success is the trust and support fostered within the team.
“I try to be not just a coach. I also want to be their friend, their support,” Varela said. “All the players get to know me very well. They know when I’m talking seriously and they know when I’m joking with them. So when there’s a game, they know I’m focused on the game, and I’m not playing around.”
Growing and Overcoming Challenges
Many players shared how they grew throughout the season, improving their strategy and mindset.
“Coach tells me that he sees a lot that I’ve changed in my strategy and attitude,” senior Adam Orosco Jr. (‘25) said. “I understand passing and shooting more than I did freshman year when I first started. And my team members Jason and Jacob really helped me learn to keep my head up high no matter what.”
“One of the most challenging games was against The Grove School,” Orosco Jr. (‘25) added. “It wasn’t that the school was hard to beat, but that we were all out of it and we were all getting cramps since it was right after winter break. It really showed us that keeping a strong mindset is the most important thing.”
“Unlike Adam, I actually thought the game against AAE, our sister school, was the hardest,” senior Jason Rodriguez (‘25) said. “Even though it was a friendly game, I felt like they pushed us more than any other team this season.”
“I also thought I improved more this season than any other year,” Rodriguez (‘25) said. “I made an effort to look up more. Last year I would always look down at the ball, and I think that was the main reason I wouldn’t score as much. But this year I doubled my goals by around 10. What really pushed me to get better, though, was the words of encouragement from friends, like Jacob and Edward, and feedback from coach. For example, Jacob got injured partway through the season and we really supported each other at that time and made sure we did not give up.”
Playing the First CIF Game
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Norton drove three hours to face off against Villanova Prep in Ojai, CA. Players remarked that it was important for them to mentally focus before the game.
Junior Sergio Esteban (‘26) said that thinking of coach Varela motivated him to work his hardest.
“Before we started, I was thinking about how the coach would be sad if we lost because it is the last year he has with the graduating seniors,” Esteban (‘26) said. “Then we all came together and prayed. We asked to be protected and strengthen our mindsets to help us not give up.”
Senior Jacob Zepeda (‘25) said that he started mentally preparing before the bus even pulled up to Villanova’s campus.
“I was kind of nervous before the game,” Zepeda (‘25) said. “I didn’t know how the team played or what their strategies were. To relax and get focused, I watched motivational TikToks.”
After Norton’s team arrived and unloaded, they dealt with challenges from the damp weather that made the field harder to run on.
“At the beginning of the game, the field was really muddy because it had just rained,” Zepeda (‘25) said. “It stopped raining after the beginning, but mud flew all over the place as we played. In fact, mud flew into my eye at one point and I couldn’t see anything.”
Esteban (‘26) and Zepeda (‘25) remarked that the slippery conditions caused players to make the biggest mistake of the game.
“The first half no one was running. Everyone was walking. I think they were afraid of the mud,” Zepeda (‘25) said. “Jason and I had to run up and down the field like dogs.”
“Our biggest mistake was Villanova’s only goal of the game,” Esteban (‘26) added. “The middle just wasn’t there because no one was running. But after that our midfield made more of an effort to run after the ball. We made up for that mistake with Jason and Jacob’s goals that secured our win.”
Multiple observers also noted that Norton faced a hostile attitude from Villanova Prep throughout the game.
One example was a moment between Orosco Jr. (‘25) after Norton kicked the ball out of the field, a Villanova player approached Orosco Jr. (‘25) and started yelling in his face. Orosco Jr. (‘25) pushed the other player away from him, and he received a yellow card for the altercation that required him to sit out the game for a bit.
“That was definitely my biggest mistake,” Orosco Jr. (‘25) said. “But I learned from that moment and did not approach their players after that.”
Norton continued to improve in the second half, leading to what multiple players described as the most impressive moment of the game–senior Jacob Zepeda’s (‘25) winning goal.
“At the end of the game, I passed the ball to Victor, and then Victor crossed it into Jacob,” Orosco Jr. (‘25) explained. “Jacob headed the ball in, and we won the game. To me, it was the most impressive moment.”
Senior Jason Rodriguez (‘25) also made a play admired by team members.
“Jason’s equalizer was the most impressive play to me,” Esteban (‘26) said. “He had passed himself with his head and he scored a volley, tying the game.”
Esteban (‘25) and Zepeda (‘25) also noted how sophomore Leobardo Morales (‘27) and senior Alejandro Prado (‘25) made key blocks that stopped Villanova from scoring.
“I think the best block was probably a shot that little Leo covered,” Esteban (‘26) said. “He had got in front of it just before the goal.”
“For me, the best block was Alejandro’s block against one of their free kicks,” Zepeda (‘25) said. “It was interesting because it was going toward the top end of the goal, and Alejandro barely blocked it with his hand.”
Norton players expressed their pride at winning, too.
“It felt good to win,” Esteban (‘26) said. “We knew we wanted to win that match because that school thought they were going to beat us easily.”
After Norton’s win, though, Villanova’s players exhibited more aggressive behavior. Multiple Norton players confirmed that Villanova players cursed and yelled loudly at Norton in Spanish. Norton players did not approach Villanova’s team after winning, but it was deemed necessary for Norton to leave quickly out of a concern for their safety.
“They thought they were better than us just because they were rich, they had money and all that,” Esteban (‘26) added. “But we came up and we were able to beat them.”
Looking Ahead
But Norton is just getting started in the CIF championships. If Norton maintains their win streak, they will compete in the playoffs in March. Players and coach Varela alike note that now is the time for them to stay focused on each upcoming match.
“Our goal is really to show our campus what we are capable of,” Orosco Jr. (‘25) said. “We want to show everyone that we can improve to be who we want to be. It just takes hard work – conditioning, staying healthy, keeping mentally strong, and communicating as a team.”
“I tell the kids to not let any success give them a big head,” Varela said. “We went undefeated for the whole season, we made it to CIF, but we have to be humble. We need to focus on our next goal. We need to turn the page and focus on whatever is next.”
