Boys soccer: Mustangs reach final

When this season started, Mitchell coach Oscar Ubillus had to make a choice: Keep Robbie Wallace as the starting goalkeeper or put in junior Josh Berres. Ubillus decided to go with Berres in net and field the best 11 players, with Wallace playing defense.

The decision, as Ubillus puts it, was an easy one.

"I was asked to describe Josh the other day, and underrated really is it," Ubillus said.

On Wednesday night, in a Class 4A state semifinal at the University of Tampa, everyone saw how valuable Berres has been. Berres made 14 saves and Mitchell advanced past Pembroke Pines Charter 1-0 (3-1 shootout), to reach the 4A title match, scheduled for 7:30 tonight, against Jacksonville Stanton. Mitchell (25-2-3) defeated Stanton 1-0 on Dec. 21.

Mustangs senior midfielder Max Rockwell said Berres was "bigger than anything you could write in the paper. He kept us in the game the whole time."

The Mustangs wouldn't have even made it to a shootout if not for Berres. During the second overtime, Charter's leading scorer, Dwight Lodge, had a point-blank shot, but Berres made a left-handed save, deflecting the ball at the last second.

"That left-handed save left me stunned," Lodge said.

After 100 minutes, the game remained scoreless. Keepers Berres and Shakir Jarrett headed to the north end of the field.

Charter (15-8) took the first penalty kick, and Donny Felix put it away to the right side. That brought up Mitchell's Jason Leslie, who has 13 goals this season, but Jarrett made a save to his right.

"This was the most nerve-racking game of my life," Berres said. "After their goalie saved it, I was just more nervous because I knew I had to come up big and make a save."

As Leslie hung his head, Berres went back to the net and made a save on Miguel Mendoza, diving to his right. Mitchell then tied the shootout when Alex Wegener scored an easy goal to the left side.

Berres said he got lucky on the next shot, when Juan Polanco hit the crossbar. The Mustangs then took the lead on Rockwell's goal.

But Berres wasn't done. He made another save on Dalton Churchwell, allowing leading scorer David Vasquez to put away the final shot.

"This is my first win through PKs, and I'm glad to say that because we're going to the state championship," Berres said.

Given Berres' statistics - 107 saves and nine shutouts - Ubillus' choice looks genius.

"I've seen him play just as good or better," Ubillus said. "He has great reflexes and that's how he made that save (on Lodge)."

Mitchell won despite being outshot 19-11.

"Celebrate for 10 minutes and then move on to (tonight's) game," Vasquez said. "We didn't play a great game and were nervous the whole game, but luckily we got a win. We'll have to get over it for (tonight)."