The defending champion Bellarmine boys and Mitty girls soccer teams have made the trek to Buck Shaw Stadium an annual tradition to determine the best teams in CCS. That will be the scene Friday night on the campus of Santa Clara University for the Open Division championships.
Girls
#2 St. Francis vs. #1 Archbishop Mitty, 5:00
Archbishop Mitty needed a big second half to get by Leigh after trailing 1-0 on an early goal from the Longhorns. Erika Silveiras scored in the 51st minute to make it 1-1 and for the second game in the row junior standout Emma Vane scored to seal the victory for the Monarchs. Vane's second goal of the playoffs came with 10 minutes left and the Monarchs' stout defense stymied the Longhorns the rest of the way.
Mitty will face league rival St. Francis, which defeated Los Gatos in another close semifinal matchup. The Lancers were able to keep the potent Los Gatos attack under wraps for the most part and goals from freshman Mj Osborne and senior Sophie Bloyd were enough for the Lancers to advance to the championship game for the first time in three years.
Mitty returns to the Open championship game for the fourth time in a row. Last year the Monarchs defeated another WCAL team in St. Ignatius. This is a premier coaching matchup between Mitty's JT. Hanley and St. Francis' Dawn Hill, two of the most successful coaches in the past decade of CCS. The two teams met twice during league play, with each winning at their respective home fields. The Monarchs' loss to St. Francis in early January was their only defeat of the season.
Boys
#4 Sacred Heart Prep vs. #3 Bellarmine, 7:30
The dream season continues for coach Guillermo Talancon Jr.'s Sacred Heart Prep team. Already qualified for the NorCal playoffs, winning the WBAL, reaching the Open division finals and remaining undefeated would be a dream season for any team. Three days after handling SCVAL champion Mountain View, the Gators dismantled PAL champion Menlo-Atherton 4-0.
The most successful program in the history of CCS returns to the its ultimate game for the second year in a row. For the second year in a row, Bellarmine came away victorious at Watsonville in the CCS Open semis with a 2-1 victory. An incredible solo goal from Bellarmine junior Seiji Matsuda late in the second half was enough as the Bells held on despite a late surge from Watsonville.
Bellarmine head coach Conner Salcido will look for his third CCS championship Friday night while Sacred Heart Prep attempts to make CCS history as the first "B" league team to win the title.
