Poway's Morris finally wins a big one as Titans down RB to reach title game

POWAY---- Gene Morris was running on precious little sleep. Poway High's boys soccer coach has been focused solely on sports these past few days, impatiently counting the seconds until kickoff. It was a period fueled by Mountain Dew and nightmares from past postseasons.

Morris' program had become a juggernaut, one with tremendous regular-season success overshadowed by a series of playoff disappointments. Morris saw Wednesday night as a chance to exorcise some demons.

"I didn't want to become the (Marty) Schottenheimer of soccer," said Morris, referring to the former Chargers coach who often came up short in postseason play. "There was pressure, but it came from inside. We had so much talent and so much depth that we absolutely had to win."

At long last, Morris' Titans brought home a big one. Poway's 2-1 victory over rival Rancho Bernardo in the CIF San Diego Section Division I semifinals sends Poway (19-2-4) to its first championship final in 14 years.

Morris wasn't the only one driving towards this end. His players also stressed about fulfilling the role of the favorite, which made victory sweet and the journey mentally taxing.

"My whole body was numb over the last 15 minutes," Poway senior E.J. Schneekluth said. "I stayed in the moment, but in the back of my mind I kept hoping to hear that final whistle."

It finally came with the lead intact, guaranteeing a trip to Saturday evening's final against San Diego at Valhalla High. It also validated a tremendous team effort that featured stellar defense and opportunistic finishing.

The first big finish came from Schneekluth, who knocked in a rebound thanks to pure hustle following up on a shot originally thought to be saved. The second came from Schneekluth's hustle, when he worked a ball down into the corner before crossing back to Alex Henry, who put it away to expand the lead.

Even a second goal, however, didn't ease Poway's mind.

"We were still on edge," Schneekluth said. "We knew how good they were and how important this game was. I didn't ever feel comfortable out there. I knew we had to keep pushing through the final whistle."

Rancho Bernardo (11-9-2) wasn't done, not by a long shot. Richie Biernacki halved the lead in the 59th minute and the Broncos created several opportunities in the waning moments. But the Titans vaunted back line held strong, ending Rancho Bernardo's sterling playoff run.

"I thought our guys played fantastic soccer, but we just couldn't finish when we had to," said Broncos coach Kurt Trecker, whose team beat and tied Poway during the regular season. "But on the whole, I thought this team had a great season. There are a number of seniors on this team and the sad thing about this result is that I won't get to coach them anymore."

The Titans will stay together at least through the weekend, with a fun matchup ahead.

"The pressure's off," Titans defender Brian Romag said. "Getting to the final, that was the stressful part. Now we can go out, have fun and enjoy the experience of making it this far."