Royal Goes to Air, Upsets Santa Ana

The Southern Section Division I boys’ soccer semifinal match was minutes old Tuesday but Royal High’s Brandon Kay could tell that Santa Ana’s undefeated season was about to end.

“I think they were thinking they were going to whip us,” said Kay, who scored the Highlanders’ first two goals on leaping headers in a 3-1 upset before more than 2,000 fans at Santa Ana High.

“We knew they’d try to intimidate us with the fans but we were prepared for the noise,” Royal Coach Kevin Corley said. “We knew if we could score early we’d take the crowd out of it.”

Santa Ana (20-1-4) gave up more goals in a match than it has in more than two years and lost at home for the second time in three seasons.

The second-seeded Saints were outhustled by unseeded Royal (25-5-1), which won its 15th consecutive match to reach the division final for the second time in three years.

The Highlanders will face Fountain Valley, which they defeated in the 1995 final, 5-4.

Kay’s first goal came after a long throw-in by Mike Rainer.

“They were undefeated and we had five losses,” said Kay, a 6-foot-1 senior. “But when we put that goal in there, it stunned them. We knew they were weak in the air and that was our strength.”

Kay’s second goal was set up by a 40-yard cross from Sean Gesell. Rainer, a 6-4 senior, scored Royal’s third goal, giving the Highlanders a 3-1 halftime lead.