The Aptos High boys’ soccer team went on an unprecedented postseason run during the 2025-26 winter season.
It began with bringing home the program’s first-ever Central Coast Section title, an accomplishment no other team has been close to doing in nearly 25 years.
They sailed even deeper into uncharted waters with a first-time appearance in the California Interscholastic Federation Northern Regional semifinals.
But in heartbreaking fashion, the No. 4 Mariners watched their season come to an end as they fell to top seed Liberty Ranch, 2-2 (5-4), in a penalty kick shootout on March 5.
“It has been a great history-making season,” Aptos head coach Roberto Zúñiga said. “This team is special and through all odds have risen to the occasion.”
Zúñiga said becoming CCS champions was a huge achievement for this team, and advancing into the NorCal regional semis was a great experience for the players and coaching staff.
“We will forever cherish these players and the memories they have provided for us throughout this remarkable journey,” Zúñiga said.
The Mariners finished with a 17-3-3 overall record, and were runner-up in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League standings with a 7-1-2 record in league play.
Aptos earned the No. 2 seed in the CCS D-IV playoffs. They beat North Salinas, 2-1, in the quarterfinals, followed by 1-0 victory over Sacred Hearth Cathedral in the semifinals.
In the section finals, the Mariners shrugged off an early deficit with two unanswered goals to beat Carlmont, 2-1, at Del Mar High on Feb. 28.
Ivan Zavala scored on an assisted pass from Julian Torres in the 13th minute, while Haziel Parra put in the go-ahead score for Aptos in the 71st.
“To be the first in history to do it and just to see the happiness on my coaches’ faces, my teammates’ faces, it felt well deserved,” Aptos senior team captain Daniel Lozano said. “We all dogged out, from the players on the bench to the players working their asses off on the field. It was a great win.”
Lozano said there was a lot of hype at Aptos over the past couple of years, but they had trouble rising to the occasion. They failed to get past the quarterfinals in five consecutive trips to the CCS playoffs since 2020-21.
“Those first round exits, it was almost like a curse we felt,” Lozano said. “I think we just peaked at the right time and we were able to rise to the occasion and just have that heart out on the field.”
Prior to that, it had been more than two decades since the Mariners went to the section finals when they lost to Bellarmine, 1-0, in the D-I championship at PAL Stadium in 2001.
Following this season’s CCS title run, Aptos destroyed No. 5 East Union, 6-1, in the opening round of the CIF NorCal playoffs.
Josiah Siqueiros recorded the hat trick with three goals for the Mariners, while teammates Nicolas Topete, River Cook and Jose Ulloa each scored once.
Ivan Zavala was credited with a pair of assists, while David Sebastian-Killpatrick and Parra each had one.
“I felt that we began the game at a slower pace than usual but after Josiah tied the game up with his penalty we were able to shift the momentum and capitalize on our chances throughout the second half,” Sebastian-Killpatrick said.
In last week’s NorCal semifinals, Liberty Ranch struck first in the fifth minute, yet Aptos continued to battle and gain possession of the ball.
Zúñiga said they couldn’t find the back of the net in the first half, but they were able to regroup knowing it wasn’t unusual territory for them.
Coming out of the break, Liberty Ranch used their speed and some passes that eventually led to a 2-0 lead.
Aptos got on the scoreboard in the 65th minute when Zavala collected a bounce pass, did a half volley turn and placed a shot in the back of the net.
Parra dribbled three defenders into the 18-yard box where he was taken down by a Liberty Ranch defender, rewarding the Mariners with a penalty kick opportunity with two minutes remaining in the contest.
Siqueiros capitalized on his opponent’s penalty with a goal, tying the score at 2-all before the end of regulation.
After a total of 95 minutes, the contest ended in a penalty kick shootout in favor of Liberty Ranch.
“I would like to say it was an absolute honor to captain this team of brothers,” Lozano said. “Shoutout to our attack for getting us back in the game. Although I wished it wasn’t over, I am still very proud of my boys for making school history.”
Aptos team captain Damian Garcia thought the game was intense, especially after being down 2-0 and having to face adversity.
“Then coming back with everything we had, tying it with a PK in the final seconds to go to overtime and then went on to PKs,” Garcia said. “That didn’t go our way, but I’m super proud of this team and what we have accomplished.”
