Boys Soccer: A Historic Run

Posted June 12, 2026

Boys Soccer: A Historic Run

 

The 2025-26 Ontario Christian Boys Soccer team delivered one of the greatest seasons in program history, combining regular-season success, dramatic playoff victories, and historic milestones that had not been achieved in decades.

The Knights opened the season in dominant fashion, winning their first five matches, capturing a tournament championship, and recording a remarkable 17-0 victory. Following their first defeat of the season, Ontario Christian responded with resilience, winning nine consecutive matches, including three victories to claim the Ontario Christian Christmas Classic championship. The title was especially meaningful as it marked the program’s first championship in its own tournament since 1998.

As league play came to a close, the Knights turned their attention toward the CIF Southern Section playoffs. What followed would become one of the most memorable postseason runs in school history.

A Program-Changing Moment

Ontario Christian opened the playoffs on the road against El Monte High School. Early in the match, the Knights found themselves trailing 1-0, a familiar challenge for a program searching for its first playoff victory since 2020.

The response was immediate.

Jake De Corte and Daniel Moreno each found the back of the net to give Ontario Christian a 2-1 lead. Yet just as victory appeared within reach, El Monte scored a late equalizer, sending the match into overtime.

Twenty additional minutes failed to produce a winner.

The season would come down to penalty kicks.

The Lions converted their opening attempt while the Knights missed theirs. El Monte appeared to have seized control. Then the momentum shifted.

Sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Belden delivered a crucial save before fellow sophomore Benjamin Luistro converted his attempt. Daniel Moreno, Aiden Murillo, and Bryant Abernathy followed with goals of their own.

Everything rested on El Monte’s final kick.

Belden dove to his left and made the save.

The Knights erupted.

The victory ended a six-year playoff drought and gave Ontario Christian its first CIF playoff win since 2020. More importantly, it gave the team confidence that their journey was far from over.

Surviving and Advancing

The second round sent the Knights to Indio to face the Rajahs.

After eighty minutes of scoreless soccer and another overtime battle, Ontario Christian once again found itself searching for a defining moment.

This time it came in the second overtime period.

Aiden Murillo found Daniel Moreno, who buried the golden goal and sent the Knights into celebration. Players stormed the field as Ontario Christian advanced to the quarterfinals.

Making a Statement

The quarterfinals brought the No. 3-seeded Lakeside Lancers to Ontario Christian for the Knights’ first home playoff match since February 2020.

Ontario Christian delivered its most complete performance of the season.

Daniel Moreno opened the scoring with a brilliant strike after weaving through multiple defenders before curling the ball into the back of the net. Bryant Abernathy provided the assist.

The Knights continued their dominance in the second half as Joel Steffy and Daniel Moreno added goals, both assisted by Dominik Martinez. The commanding 3-0 victory sent a clear message that Ontario Christian was a legitimate championship contender.

One Step from Glory

The semifinals presented another challenge against No. 4-seeded Vista Del Lago.

The Knights fell behind 1-0 early while battling difficult winds and adversity. Making matters even more difficult, Ontario Christian lost its starting striker to injury.

With ten minutes remaining and the season hanging in the balance, the Knights found another gear.

Sophomore Trajen Fajardo and freshman Dalton Stott each delivered key assists as Dominik Martinez scored two unanswered goals in the closing minutes to complete a dramatic comeback.

While Martinez earned the headlines, the defensive unit of Noah Ordonez, Jake De Corte, Landon Fritz, and Chris Abernathy, along with midfield leaders Bryant Abernathy, Benjamin Luistro and Christian Romero, played a pivotal role in keeping Ontario Christian within striking distance.

When the final whistle sounded, history had been made.

The victory sent Ontario Christian to the CIF Southern Section Championship match, its first appearance in a championship game since the early 2000s and one of the biggest wins the program had achieved in more than a decade.

The Championship Returns Home

The wait was finally over.

For the first time in more than two decades, Ontario Christian Boys Soccer was back in the CIF Southern Section Championship match. Even better, the championship would be played on the Knights’ home field.

With both grandstands packed and the Ontario Christian community filling every available space around the stadium, the stage was set for one of the biggest matches in program history.

The Knights wasted no time.

Just twelve minutes into the match, sophomore Jacob Rivera delivered a free kick that found senior captain Jake De Corte, who buried the opportunity to give Ontario Christian an early 1-0 lead.

Fourteen minutes later, the Knights struck again.

Following a long throw-in from De Corte, sophomore Trajen Fajardo redirected the ball inside the six-yard box where freshman Dalton Stott finished the play to extend the lead to 2-0.

Ontario Christian entered halftime with momentum and belief.

But championships are rarely won without adversity.

Animo responded in the second half, scoring four unanswered goals to claim the CIF title. The final whistle brought heartbreak for a team that had come so far and battled through so much.

For many programs, that would have marked the end.

For the Knights, it was only the beginning of another historic chapter.

Making More History

Ontario Christian’s remarkable season earned the program its first-ever berth in the CIF State Tournament.

The Knights entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and hosted Roosevelt High School from the Los Angeles City Section.

Once again, Ontario Christian rose to the occasion.

Sophomore Bryant Abernathy delivered a spectacular strike before freshman Dalton Stott added another goal to secure a 2-0 victory. The win marked the first CIF State playoff victory in program history and added another milestone to an already unforgettable season.

The Knights’ state tournament run would conclude in the following round with a hard-fought 2-1 defeat, but the result did little to diminish what this team had accomplished.

A Season for the History Books

The 2025-26 Ontario Christian Boys Soccer team accomplished things that had not been achieved in years:

  • Christmas Classic Champions (first title since 1998)
  • CIF Southern Section Division 6 Finalists
  • First CIF State Tournament appearance in program history
  • First CIF State Tournament victory in program history
  • 81 goals scored
  • Only 24 goals allowed
  • 15 shutouts

All-League Honors

First Team

  • Chris Abernathy: Junior
  • Jake De Corte: Senior

Second Team

  • Bryant Abernathy: Sophomore
  • Noah Ordonez: Junior

All-CIF Honors

  • Chris Abernathy: Junior, Defender
  • Andrew Belden: Sophomore, Goalkeeper
  • Jake De Corte: Senior, Defender
  • Daniel Moreno: Sophomore, Winger
  • Jacob Rivera: Sophomore, Midfielder

What made this season special was not simply the records or accomplishments. It was the way this team responded to every challenge placed before them. Whether facing elimination in penalty kicks, battling through overtime, overcoming deficits, or responding to the disappointment of a championship loss, the Knights consistently chose faith, resilience, and belief in one another.

Throughout their remarkable playoff run, the Knights found an unwavering faith in the Lord. In the biggest moments of the season, they learned to surrender every outcome to Him, trusting that His plan was greater than their own. That faith allowed the team to play freely, without fear, knowing their identity was not found in a result on the scoreboard but in Christ. As the postseason progressed, the Knights became more than a collection of talented players—they became one. Playing for one another, sacrificing for one another, and trusting one another, they embodied what it means to compete as a unified team. Whether celebrating victories or navigating disappointment, the boys remained committed to honoring God and giving Him the glory through every step of their journey.

Led by senior captains, fueled by emerging young talent, and united by a shared purpose, this group restored excitement and belief to Ontario Christian Soccer.

The team’s journey reflected the message found in Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

While the season may not have ended with a CIF championship trophy, it produced something equally meaningful, a legacy. The 2025-26 Knights reminded everyone what Ontario Christian Soccer is capable of becoming and inspired future generations to dream even bigger.

Congratulations to every player, coach, and family member who helped make this one of the greatest seasons in Ontario Christian Boys Soccer history.