SAN FRANCISCO >> The one player the Kelseyville Knights couldn’t afford to lose to injury, standout forward Victor Cacho, went down with a pulled hamstring early in the first half against No. 2 seed Lick-Wilmerding on Saturday night in the quarterfinal round of the North Coast Section Division I boys soccer playoffs at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
Lick-Wilmerding took full advantage, scoring three first-half goals en route to a 4-1 victory that brought an end to Kelseyville’s 2016 season.
“They were just a little faster than us and we had trouble adjusting to the field … it was slippery,” Kelseyville coach Eduardo Ledesma said.
Cacho was able to return to the game later in the second half but was limited by his injury and played in the midfield. He did assist on the Knights’ lone goal, driving a free kick off the post that teammate Trey Conrad rebounded and fired back into the goal.
“He wanted back into the game, he wouldn’t quit,” Ledesma said of Cacho, who led the Knights in goals and assists during a 12-5-3 season that included an undefeated league title – Kelseyville’s third straight NCL I championship.
“They gave me more than 100 percent,” Cacho said when asked why the players on his 2016 team dominated during league play. “They understand the game so well and they worked together as a team.”
Cacho, a senior, finished the season with 35 goals and 18 assists.
Lick-Wilmerding hosts No. 3 Roseland University Prep of Santa Rosa in the semifinals on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Kezar Stadium. No. 4 Fortuna hosts No. 8 Arcata in the other semifinal Wednesday.
