PERRIS — Brayan De La Torre is finally picking up where his older brother left off.

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Citrus Hill’s Giancarlo Collazo and Patriot’s Mauricio Perez go for a header in a CIF Southern Section Division 2 boys soccer quarterfinal match on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

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De La Torre was clinical in front of goal, scoring two of his three goals in the first half, as Citrus Hill defeated Patriot 4-1 on Tuesday night in a CIF Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinal match.

“Got to give it up to Brayan. That’s quite a performance from him,” Citrus Hill coach Aram Najar said. “His teammates saw that he was feeling himself and they were giving him balls in good spots and he just took advantage of it.”

The younger brother of Jose De La Torre, the 2024 IE Varsity Boys Player of the Year, Brayan De La Torre has nine goals and eight assists this season for resurgent Citrus Hill (16-2-4 overall), the Sunbelt League champion.

Unbeaten over their last 17 matches, the Hawks next play at Bishop Amat in the semifinals Saturday.

“We know it’s going to be a dog fight playing Bishop Amat,” Najar said. “I want the energy level to stay high because that’s a really good school, and I want them to enjoy the process and enjoy this moment because it’s something that they’re going to take with them forever.”

Following two 1-0 victories over Alta Loma and Fullerton in the first two rounds of the playoffs, De La Torre’s attacking masterclass gives Citrus Hill confidence moving forward.

“I just want them to feel excited for this next game,” Najar said. “At the end of the day they’re high school athletes and they don’t often get to play a semifinal game.”

De La Torre’s first goal was barely more than a tap in after a cross from the wing dropped between defenders and he poked it past Patriot’s goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute.

He added his second on a free kick in the 27th minute, dipping his shot over the three-man defensive wall and into the lower left corner away from the outstretched hands of Patriot’s goalkeeper.

“Their No. 10 (De La Torre) is a legit player and good players find and know how to make space,” Patriot coach Johnny Mosher said. “We weren’t aware of him at times and that’s all. We didn’t cover him.”

Patriot (15-6-6) increased its tempo and produced two shots on goal in the final 5 minutes of the first half before Fernando Guerrero earned a foul inside the edge of the penalty area and stepped up to blast the spot kick under the bar as the Warriors got on the scoreboard just before halftime.

Mosher’s side was aggressive to start the second half but a turnover deep in Patriot’s defense third led to De La Torre pouncing for his third goal and a 3-1 lead.

Sophomore forward Benjamin Castellanos added to Citrus Hill’s advantage 5 minutes later, running past the defense and onto a pass from junior Byron Chavez before scoring his seventh of the season.

Freshman goalkeeper Richard Baltazar made four saves in each half to preserve the win, Citrus Hill’s fifth straight overall.

The loss snapped a six-game unbeaten streak for Patriot, which advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time and finished with the most wins in the school’s 19-year history.


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