SoCAL BOYS: CIF-SS Playoffs: Foothill-OC Stuns El Toro at :03

Junior attackman Taylor DeBerry scored the game-winning goal with three seconds remaining to give second-seeded Foothill-Orange County a dramatic, 8-7 victory over seventh-seeded El Toro in a CIF-Southern Section Southern Division quarterfinal Thursday.

In yet another game for the annals of the Foothill-El Toro rivalry, DeBerry took a pass from junior attackman Tucker Rowe as he was cutting to the goal before firing a bounce-shot in from four yards to send the Knights (18-5) into the Orange County semifinals.

Foothill will next play third-seeded Los Alamitos, which beat 11^th-seeded Newport Harbor, 15-5, on Thursday. The Foothill-Los Alamitos game will be the first of a semifinal doubleheader Saturday at San Clemente High School. Opening face-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., PDT.

In the teams’ only meeting this season, Los Alamitos beat the Knights, 11-8, on March 14.

“We’re excited to see them again,” Foothill head coach Jon Fox said. “They’re a great team, and we want to show how we can play because they took it to us the last time. Our pride is on the line.”

On Thursday, Foothill and El Toro played yet another classic.

DeBerry scored a game-high three goals, and sophomore attackman Cameron Cole and sophomore middie Cooper Pickell each finished with three points on two goals and an assist for the Knights, who beat El Toro three times this season by a combined margin of four goals.

Senior attackman Mitchell Cooper had a goal and an assist to round out the scoring for Foothill.

Defensively, junior goalie Nathan Kleponis saved 11 shots.

Foothill has now beaten El Toro six straight times, a streak that dates back to 2007 and includes three one-goal victories and one two-goal victory.

El Toro finished the season 14-4.

El Toro led 2-0 at the end of the first quarter, Foothill led 5-3 at halftime and the game was tied, 5-5, at the end of the third quarter.

The Chargers led 7-6 in the final four minutes, but they couldn’t hold on. Pickell scored the equalizer with 3:52 remaining in regulation to set the stage for DeBerry’s clincher in the waning moments.

“It’s a huge rivalry in every sport, a huge tradition, and Foothill’s got to come out on top,” Fox said. “It’s great for the seniors. It’s hard to beat a good team three times.”