They played 110 minutes in the Central Coast Section Division I boys' soccer title match on Saturday at Milpitas High. When it was over, Bellarmine Prep hoisted the championship trophy. When the Bells were done, it was Palo Alto's turn.
It was time to share because there was only one trophy and two champions. Make that co-champions.
Top-seeded Palo Alto (21-1-3) got a share of its fourth section title and No. 2 Bellarmine (16-3-7) got a share of its 14th. It was a fitting end to an evenly played match against arguably the two best teams in the CCS.
"Well," said Paly coach Don Briggs, "it beats losing. A loss would have been devastating."
This was Palo Alto's third straight appearance in a CCS finale, the previous two coming in Division II. The Vikings lost both of those title matches and were on a mission to make sure it didn't happen again.
"It's not as satisfying as we'd hoped," said Paly senior keeper Peter Johnson, "but after the past two years, we'll take it.
"We played our best game, without giving up any goals in the biggest game of the year. We are champions. Finally."
Palo Alto last won a CCS (Division II) title in 2000, the same year Bellarmine won the Division I crown. The Vikings also won in 1998 and 1971.
"It's definitely not as good (as an outright title)," Johnson said. "It would have been nice to score. But, we played our best game and I'm happy we made this happen."
Johnson, who arguably played his best match of the season because he blanked the Bells for 110 minutes, said his teammates took a corny saying by Briggs to heart.
"His classic saying is 'refuse to lose,'" Johnson said. "And that's what we did. We refused to lose. We weren't about to walk off the field lie we did the past two years."
Palo Alto lost to Pajaro Valley in overtime last season and Gonzales in Johnson's sophomore year.
"It was a great run," Briggs said of the season, which saw the Vikings lose just once (2-0 to Gilroy in the Homestead Christmas Cup in December). Paly allowed just one goal during an 11-0-1 SCVAL De Anza Division championship season and earned the No. 1 seed for the CCS playoffs.
Johnson was the foundation for the strong defense, allowing fewer than 10 goals all season. He was credited with six saves on Saturday, it it seemed like a lot more. He was never busier this season.
In the second 10-minute overtime period, Johnson went high for a save and was clobbered by Bellarmine's Matt Taylor. Johnson hit the ground and lay for a moment before finally getting up and staying in the game.
Paly's Elliot Sanborn also was briefly injured, just before Johnson, and came out briefly. His presence, however, was important all match long as he was able to make accurate flip throw-ins from nearly 50 yards in to give the Vikings a dangerous weapon.
Unfortunately for Paly, it was not able to capitalize on Sanborn's throws. It was a defensive struggle the whole way with both teams doing an outstanding job of denying each other.
Bellarmine got outstanding play from junior Matt Taylor, the West Catholic Athletic League's defensive player of the year who played a physical, yet skilled style and made clearance after clearance. Palo Alto countered with sophomore defenders Riley Smith and John Richardson, senior John Christopherson and senior midfielder Adam Zernik, among others.
gh the keepers hands, but Bellarmine's Jon Kupiec was on the goal line to clear it out. In the second half, Sanborn threw in to Kevin Ashworth, whose header hit the cross bar.
Johnson made the save of the game in the 64th minute, diving to his right to get to a shot by Eric Kirchick. After the game, Johnson had a bag of ice on a big scrape on his right hip from the play.
Both teams had plenty of opportunities. With 32:40 to play, a Bells' defender cleared the ball back to their goalie who tapped it out to a teammate. Paly's John Anderson, however, raced in a stole it, ripping a shot just right of the cage. Just a few minutes later, Paly freshman Kris Hoglund whipped a hard header off a throw-in by Sanborn, which just missed. Four minutes later, Paly senior Kevin Ashworth hit the crossbar following a rebound off another throw-in by Sanborn.
Bellarmine had its own chances, one of the best coming in the second overtime when the Bells missed a point-blank shot in front of the cage -- bouncing it off the football goal post behind the cage.
"Both teams had opportunities," Briggs said. "The window of opportunity was so small. We just didn't finish or hit our shots. But, to hold them to zero . . ."
It was certainly worth a co-championship. |
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