Caja’s hat trick propels Highlands Christian
LAKE WORTH — Senior midfielder Payton Caja scored three times in the first 14 minutes to lift Highlands Christian to a 4-3 win over host Trinity Christian Academy in the Class 2A boys soccer regional quarterfinal on Wednesday afternoon.
Trinity Christian Academy wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard on a goal by Andrew Henry in the third minute. Caja then went to work as he made good on his pregame goal to get a hat trick in the game.
“I knew I had a big opportunity today and I knew my team was going to need me,” Caja said. “That first [Trinity] goal was my mistake. I gave the ball away and they scored. I knew I had to pick it up after that.”
Highlands moved on to Saturday’s regional semifinal where they will play the winner of the Donna Klein Jewish Academy-Westminster Academy game.
“I said I had to get the three goals right after that and get the mistake off my head,” added Caja, who scored in the fifth, 10th and 14th minutes to give the Knights a 3-1 advantage. “This is huge. We have the goal of getting to the state final four and even though we didn’t play our best, we got the win and we have to work even harder.”
Highlands Christian (7-5-3) extended the advantage to 4-1 when Daniel Tomas scored into an open net after a scramble in front of the net and halted the Warriors’ 4-game win streak.
Just two minutes later, Trinity Christian (9-6-1) pulled one back on a penalty kick which Dylan Chappell slipped past Knights’ goalie Samuel Ritzer to trim the lead to 4-2. Henry scored his second goal of the match in the 51st minute when he received long free kick in front of the goal, spun and buried a 20-yard shot to cut the lead to 4-3. It was the closest the Warriors would get.
Highlands Christian (7-5-3) and
Trinity Christian Academy are no strangers to one another in the regional playoffs. Trinity Christian downed Highlands 2-1 in the 2016 regional semifinals, and 1-0 in OT in the 2018 regional quarterfinals.
It was the second meeting between the teams this season. They played on Dec. 18 and Highlands Christian escaped with a 2-1 win as eighth-grader Alexis Pena and Tomas each scored for the Knights, while senior Alejandro Moscoso scored in a losing effort.
Knights coach Davidson Loriston said the early goal was a wake-up call for his team.
“Going into the season, my midfield was my strength and if we are down, Payton usually picks them up. In the first 15 minutes, he scored the hat trick and it gave us the momentum. This is huge I have seven middle-schoolers on my team and if it wasn’t for them, we probably wouldn’t have a team.”