Samo boys soccer has sights set on third CIF championship
The Samo boys’ soccer team has had an impressive start to this season marked by numerous successes. The teams record so far is 16-2-3 and a perfect 7-0 in the Ocean League, which puts them in first place. This promising start to the season has given the team attention and recognition. Samo boys’ soccer is currently ranked 12 in the state in a ranking done by CIF on Jan. 29.
The season started with a highly competitive set of preseason matches against top teams in the state, including Mira Costa, Palos Verdes and Jserra, all of whom rank in the top 10 in the state. Although these games don’t have an effect on league rankings, they allowed Samo to get a chance to prove themselves against some of the top teams in the state. Samo’s biggest test was against Jserra, the number one ranked team in the country last year. Jserra had not been beaten at home in over three years, but the team rose to the occasion and won the game 4-2.
Deacon Miller (’26), the starting center midfielder for Samo and captain, recalled how the game played out.
“A highlight was beating Jserra, the former number one team in the country and they knocked us out of the playoffs last year. We pretty much just ran at them, kept the intensity high and we bagged a ton of goals. It was really nice to kill them and get revenge,” Miller said.
In addition to being the captain this year, Miller was also the captain as a junior for the first time in Samo’s history. He has had a season for the ages this year leading Samo to a great record and incredibly being first in the nation with 34 assists.
Miller goes on to compare the expectation from this year and last year.
“Last year as a team we were a little bit shocked at how good we were. This year no one is surprised to see that we are good this year. I think this year we have higher expectations for ourselves, so there certainly is some added pressure,” Miller said.
Boys Soccer previous headcoach and Samo teacher Jimmy Chapman, described Miller’s impact along with other seniors on the team.
“A big strength is the selflessness of our seniors, including Deacon Miller. He’s creating opportunities for other players and he always puts the team first. The seniors’ willingness to fight for each other and for the good of the program, has allowed Samo to continue to play at a high level,” Chapman said.
The team attributes much of their success this year to their training and consistency. The team treats every drill and scrimmage seriously and uses skills learned from practice in games. Damien Hashim (‘27), a center attacking midfielder on the varsity team talked about the team’s environment.
“I think the environment is really good. There is a lot of competition for varsity spots and during practices which pushes everyone to improve and try their best,” Damien Hashim (’27) said.
This internal competition that Hashim talks about has allowed the players on the team to push each other and elevate the quality of play. Knowing that not putting in effort could cost a player a starting spot has forced everyone to put in high effort.
The first Ocean League game was on Jan. 1, against Hawthorne, which Samo won 15-0. In the seven league games played, Samo has outscored opponents 47-5. Despite the Ocean League’s limited competitive depth, the team finds additional ways to keep their skills up through internal competition and the drive to improve. This is through the culture that the coaches and upperclassmen have cultivated which combines aspects of pure fun and the ability to take things seriously.
“One fun part about the team is the practices. We joke around and laugh, but we also lock in and give our best effort during drills. This allows our team to grow collectively as a unit,” Hashim said.
The Ocean League culminated in the league tournament championship game against Culver City on Feb. 3. This game was extremely intense with fouls and physical plays throughout. Culver City scored the first goal of the game in the minute 30, and then Samo quickly tied it up 1-1. Culver City scored the final goal in minute 70, to put them up 2-1. Samo fought to try and tie it up but ended up losing 2-1.
Samo has a slim chance to qualify for the Open Division of CIF playoffs. The Open Division is the top-tier playoff bracket in California’s CIF southern section regardless of school size. Winning the Open division is the most coveted prize in CIF southern section boys soccer. If Samo does not qualify for the open league, they will be a high seed in Division one CIF playoffs.
“I’d say our goal is just to win a ring. It’s not really in our control anymore which division we fall into, but just wherever we fall the goal is to win a ring,” Miller said.