When the Mt. Pleasant soccer team needed a clutch play, Albert Munante was there.

“He came up at the biggest moments,” said Mt. Pleasant coach Nick Arellano.

Munante not only came up in the biggest of moments but he kept it going throughout the season as the senior helped lead the Cardinals to their first Central Coast Section title. For that Pre2Prep has named Munante its CCS Player of the Year.

Munante finished with 24 goals and six assists for the co-CCS Division II champions who tied with Leland 2-2 in the finals.

“It was a great experience to be a part of such a successful team,” said Munante. “We had never been past the quarters at CCS and getting to the final and taking it was special.”

The Cardinals went 19-1-3 en route to capturing the Lovato Cup, the Blossom Valley Athletic League-Mt. Hamilton "A" Division, along with the school's first CCS D-II title.

During the season, Mt. Pleasant knocked off CCS D-I champions Bellarmine and in the playoffs two more West Catholic Athletic League teams in Valley Christian and St. Francis.

It was during a game against league foe Branham that Munante showed his penchant for coming up clutch when the 5-foot-9 170-pounder scored a goal at the end of regulation to give the Cardinals the win.

“Albert played within the team that’s what made him so good,” said Arellano. “He couldn’t have done without them. He was the recipient of a lot of good plays.

“He never got a big head. We have a way of grounding people to make sure they stay humble, loose and are always having fun. If you aren’t laughing you aren’t having fun.”

When first hearing that he won the Prep2Prep CCS Player of the Year award, Munante credited his teammates.

“I couldn’t have done it without any of my players,” said Munante. “We had a special group this year. I knew I could trust my teammates and they had my trust also. It’s a great accomplishment for myself and thank you to my teammates and coaches for helping me get to where I am today.”

Munante, who plans to continue his soccer career next year, hasn’t decided upon a school yet but said he’ll likely go the community college route and attend either De Anza or Evergreen Valley.

Arellano says wherever Munante ends up it will not only get a great kid, but someone who has a knack for coming up clutch late.

“Finisher. He’s a finisher. I call him baby bull,” said Arellano. “He scored the big ones obviously there was other guys but he is the face that everyone thinks of when they think of Mt. Pleasant soccer.”

Munante thinks that the harder he works the better he’ll be and less pressure he’ll feel because of all the preparation for the moments ahead.

“It’s all hard work, it really pays off,” said Munante. “(This) is a great accomplishment but I plan to keep practice on my own and make myself a better. I’m not ready to stop playing soccer yet.”

First-year Bellarmine soccer coach Justin Johnson knew when he took over the program that some lofty expectations were in for him. Johnson took them all in stride.

Johnson led the Bells to the West Catholic Athletic League and section record 17th Central Coast Section title this year and Prep2Prep honored Johnson for his accomplishments by naming him the CCS Coach of the Year.

“It’s amazing I’m just really proud to be part of the Bellarmine community, happy to add on to and put my mark in the tradition of excellence that Bellarmine set before me,” said Johnson. “This is definitely a team award, from the players, to the team managers, coaches, administration it was a product to all of that.”

Johnson said that early in the year the Bells went through a transition period when they went nearly a month between victories including back-to-back loses to Alisal and Mt. Pleasant. But once the team started buying into Johnson’s system, good things started happening.

Bellarmine went nearly a month without a loss or tie and started believing again that not only could they win the WCAL but also contend in a loaded D-I at CCS.

“It definitely wasn’t an easy feat - it was something we worked hard on,” said Johnson of the team coming together as one. “Thankfully I have an incredible group of guys and senior leadership. One thing I credit is the guys buying in and embracing the new style.”

Towards the end of league play the Bells — who wrapped up the WCAL title with three weeks left in the regular season — dropped their final two games to Sacred Heart Cathedral and Valley Christian before heading into the playoffs.

It was then that Johnson said his team was in bad spirits, but he credits his assistant coaches Brandi Chastain and Jonathan Lester in helping the team believe in itself heading into the playoffs.

“Amazing coaching staff it really helped us out,” said Johnson. “A wealth of knowledge to lean on.”

When the Bells got to CCS, they started playing their best soccer of the season, knocking off three high-seeded teams in Palo Alto, top-seeded Menlo-Atherton and nationally ranked Watsonville in the D-I title game.

“We were confident in ourselves. I was adamant at times telling them it was a process and continue to improve,” said Johnson. “When we got to CCS we were just looking to sharpen our tools. We knew what we were capable of.”

Johnson said the Bells didn’t think or worry about the natioanlly ranked Wildcatz, who sat at the top spot of the Prep2Prep rankings all season because of all the competitive battles they faced on a weekly basis playing in the WCAL.

If Bellarmine played their own game they would come out victorious.

“We had one focus and that was to execute our individual jobs,” said Johnson. “We all felt confident.”

In spite of losing 14 of the 28 players on his roster next year due to graduation, Johnson feels that Bells will again be primed position to repeat their WCAL and CCS D-I titles.

“I feel really good about next year,” said Johnson. “The coaching staff top to bottom is excellent. I know and am familiar with the boys coming up and the style of play we play.”

Gonzalo Samudio

Spencer Johnson

Sean MacPherson

Wesley Woo

Dylan Carruba

Derek Chou

Leo Gonzalez

Cody Buchanan

Jack Newton

Jonathan Laughlin

Anthony Orendain

JB Bruggeman

Kyle McClellan

William Foxcroft

Javier Leon

Noah Stapes

Cesar Torres