Santa Ana, CA — The Foothill Varsity Mens Soccer team took on their crosstown rivals Tustin this evening at Foothill High School under the lights. The Tillers fans showed up in droves to support their team and occupied nearly both stands of the Lilliputian Foothill turf seating. The faithful supporters of the Black and Gold lined the field in standing room only fashion to cheer their team on. Both teams came into the night with previous away wins - Foothill beating Irvine 3-0 and Tustin beating Newport Harbor 1-0. While only the second game of the season, both teams clearly had tonight's game circled in red. The Knights' 1st team had not beaten the Tillers in over six years with the record of 0-4-1 going all the way back to the last win in 2017. Foothill suffered a controversial and very bitter defeat last year at Tustin's field after holding a 2-0 lead well into the second half. A couple of unconscionable calls by the referees, as well as the Knights' subsequent down spiral, allowed some last minute heroics by the Tillers which saw them escort the Knights out of their stadium 2-3 losers on the night. The previous year (2022), the Knights lost two times to their rivals (both 0-1) with the second loss eliminating them from the CIF playoffs in overtime. Tustin was looking to maintain its established superiority and Foothill was looking to reclaim victory that had so elusively escaped them. The juxtaposition of the two teams anxiously preparing for battle in front of the southern California fall sunset only served to further intensify the energy of the night. Some supporters exchanged greetings with friends and previous teammates from the other team while others kept their distance, bundling up as much to ward off the uneasy tension of the contest as the cooling evening air. The referees seemed to prattle on unwittingly - the kickoff whistle could not come soon enough. The stage was set. Finally. Tustin v Foothill. The whistle blew and the pace was frenetic from the onset. Foothill had the lion's share of dangerous chances but Tustin forced a few clutch saves by the Knights' net minder, junior Josh Picker. Tustin's keeper, senior Johan Medina, singlehandedly kept his team in the fight with several clutch saves. 40 minutes flew by and the first half ended deadlocked at 0-0. The second half kicked off and showed no signs of slowing down. Foothill had more attacking opportunities but could not keep possession long enough or consistent enough to extinguish the Tillers' counterattacks. The tie was broken on a header goal in the 49th minute by senior Tyler Reid that came from a beautifully bent in corner from fellow senior Tyler Valdez. The Knights relentlessly pressed forward and created chances in the attacking half while every Tiller counterattack was thwarted by the formidable back line of seniors Connor Castelan, Dylan Hicks, and Reid. Foothill's pressure forced Tustin to commit a foul inside the box and junior Matthew Mendoza stepped forward to take it. Tustin's Medina guessed correctly and blocked the initial shot but his defense let him down as senior Kevin Ambrocio found the back of the net in the 69th minute off the rebound. Junior Jacob Garcia found his way onto the scoresheet in the 75th minute with a composed finish assisted by Ambrocio. Picker earned his second clean sheet. The Knights have taken a big first step in beating their rivals but the season is just beginning. The Knights have a difficult schedule ahead and will definitely be tested this year. Portola is next and they will come to our field Friday night @ 7pm. Come out and support the Knights!