By: Jordan Park

Website Manager 

This Los Gatos High School soccer season was one for the history books. With the girls’ team taking home the Division 1 Central Coast Section (CCS) championship and the boys finishing fourth in the De Anza League, both teams celebrated an incredibly successful season. 

The girls closed out league play by defeating Fremont High School 10-0 and earning 6-1 victories over Santa Clara High School and Los Altos High School. These wins secured first place in the De Anza League and an undefeated league record for Los Gatos. Moving into the open division of CCS, the Cats faced Leland High School on Feb. 21. After losing to Leland last year, the girls were eager for another chance to face this particular opponent. This time, however, Leland proved no match for the Wildcats, as the game ended in an impressive 8-1 victory. The momentum continued into the quarterfinals on Feb. 24 when LGHS defeated Archbishop Mitty 4-0. The CCS championship game then took place on Feb. 27 against St. Francis High School and quickly turned into a nail-biter with both teams showcasing incredible talent. Senior Ale Munneke and sophomore Bella Cain led the LG offense, pushing the team upfield and creating dangerous crosses and shots on goal. Meanwhile, freshman Mariana Nanez and juniors Avery Edson and Noe Wedemeyer secured a tight back line, winning headers and battling St. Francis forwards. Neither team managed to score during the 90-minute game or the two ten-minute overtime periods, forcing the game into penalty kicks. With an unbelievable save from senior goalkeeper Cora Bryant, the Cats prevailed and won the Division 1 CCS championship. The season wasn’t over yet, though, as the girls headed into NorCal play the following week, where they secured another win against Vacaville High School on Mar. 3 at Helm Field. Two days later, they faced Bishop O’Dowd. After a hard-fought match, the Cats fell 2-1. While the loss was heartbreaking, it did not overshadow the amazing season the team had. The Wildcats finished as De Anza League champions and Division 1 CCS champions and brought home multiple individual awards, including League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.  

The boys’ team ended league play with notable success. On Feb. 10, they played Wilcox High School and won 3-1. After that, the boys lost to Santa Clara High School and Los Altos High School, 4-2 and 4-0, respectively. The boys advanced to Division 3 CCS the following week and faced Homestead on Feb. 21. After 90 minutes, the score stood at 3-3, sending the teams into overtime and eventually to penalty kicks. The boys gave it their all but were unfortunately defeated, ending their season. 

The teams should be incredibly proud of what they have accomplished this season, and there is no doubt they will only improve, as both the girls’ and boys’ squads have more than enough talent to contribute to the program’s success in the years to come. 

(Source: MaxPreps)