Any way you look at it, Saturday, March 3, 2007 was a history making day for boys soccer in the Desert Valley League, and especially here at Coachella Valley High School. For the first time ever, two league teams went head-to-head in a C.I.F. championship game when the Arabs took on the La Quinta Blackhawks. The Arabs won the game, 2-1, with goals scored by sophomore forward, Enrique Cardenas, #10, and junior forward, Refugio Garcia, #8.

It is the second C.I. F. Southern Sectional Division IV championship for the boys soccer program in the past four years, and one player was on the team for both of them. “This C.I.F. title means more to me because I had to play a greater part than I did when I was a freshman,” says Martin Bautista, a member of the 2004 “Dream Team.”

But it almost did not happen again for Bautista, the only athlete in the history of the school to play on two championship teams. The program struggled after the 2004 victory when long time coach Jorge Chavez left to accept the athletic director’s position at Desert Mirage High School. The athletes were there, but the leadership was not. That is, until Adrian Barragan accepted the position.

“This was a talented group of athletes hungry for leadership, and Adrian was the right coach at the right time,” says CV athletic director Rudy Wilson. The rookie coach, a 1996 graduate of CVHS and former Arab soccer player, came highly recommended for the job by Chavez, who coached him in high school. “Adrian Barragan was one of the best captains I had in my entire coaching career,” says Chavez. “His teammates respected him and always looked up to him. Adrian was born to be a leader and this year he proved what he is capable of doing. ”

Still, a struggling program and a rookie coach do not often add up to championship level success.It took a lot of hard work both physically and mentally. “Expectations of this team were low and the boys knew it,” says Wilson. “They had something to prove to everyone and to themselves, as well.”

And prove themselves they did before a packed stand of raucous fans in the stadium at Desert Mirage High School on a day no one will soon forget.

“I’m very proud to be this team’s captain,” says junior Osvaldo Hernandez. “This team was not about individuals; we all just did our jobs. It really was one ball, one team, one family.” Hernandez was named DVL Player of the Year.

Best of all, we can hardly wait for next year when Coach Barragan, DVL Coach of the Year, and his seasoned group of soccer players attempt to make history again.