Pines Charter boys’ soccer ends Reagan’s Cinderella run in Region 4-5A final
Senior Nicolas Diaz picked the right time to score his first goal of the season for Pembroke Pines Charter.
Off a corner kick, Diaz headed a ball in the 60th minute to give the No. 2-seeded Jaguars a 1-0 victory over No. 8-seeded Reagan Bison on Wednesday night in the Region 4-5A final. As a result, Pines Charter is headed to states for the first time since 2020, when it was one goal away from a state championship.
The Jaguars will face No. 1 Panama City Beach Arnold, which won its region with a 2-0 victory over Pensacola Booker T. Washington on Wednesday, on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
However, the game’s lone goal wasn’t without controversy. A Bison defender kicked Diaz’s header away before it reached the net, and Diaz was worried it didn’t cross the line.
“The ref signaled the goal, and I just lost all composure,” Diaz said. “I’ve been on the team since freshman year, so I have about six of my buddies here. We have 14 seniors this year. We’ve been working hard for four years to make [states] because our eighth grade year the team made it.”
However, Reagan coach Munga Eketebi, who had a video replay of the goal postgame, disagreed that the ball crossed the line.
“I honestly feel robbed,” he said. “But it is what it is. We didn’t score any goals, so this one is on us.”
The Bison (7-6-2) looked to continue their Cinderella story against Pines Charter (13-3-1) after upset wins over No. 1 American Heritage, the reigning 5A state champions, and No. 4 Belen Jesuit. But after a slow start to the game, Reagan seemed overmatched.
The Jaguars handily won the possession battle and outshot the Bison 10-4. Before Diaz’s goal, Pines had several opportunities to score, including a breakaway chance in the first half that was thwarted by Reagan goalkeeper Enrique Garcia Salazar, who had to come out of the net and hit the ball out of bounds.
It was only a matter of time before the Jaguars finally broke through.
“We definitely dominated, especially after the first 15 minutes,” Pines Charter coach Marc Lue Young said. “Reagan did well to be organized defensively, played a low block and it was hard to beat. But within the last 20, 25 minutes, we had a couple of chances where we should have scored, and it was a great goal from a corner kick.”
Reagan’s only shot on goal came after a free kick led to a header that went straight to the Jaguars goalkeeper. But the Bison’s best chance occurred early in the first half, when a low shot curved and just sped past the right post.
Reagan, deep in opposing territory late in the game, had one last opportunity, but no one could fire off a shot. When the game ended, tensions rose and both teams got into a fight on the far sideline. Some fans from the Reagan side jumped from the bleachers and onto the field. The police were called, but the brawl was over by the time they arrived.