The Watsonville High boys’ soccer team was seconds away from capturing its first-ever CIF NorCal championship.
But its season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion with a last-second goal by Marin Academy that stole the Division II title in a flash.
It’s a moment that junior forward Jael Leal would like to forget.
So far, it seems like it’s all in the past.
Leal scored one of three goals to help the Wildcatz win their Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division opener, 3-1, against North Salinas High last week on Wednesday.
“It’s a pretty big win,” Leal said. “We’re trying to scare other teams and trying to be better than everyone else…trying to always be on top.”
The Wildcatz (8-2-1, 1-0-1) extended their win streak to three games, bouncing back after a tough loss to longtime rival Bellarmine in non-league play on Dec. 23.
They have won their league opener in 11 of the past 12 seasons.
Leal said he likes what he’s seen from this year’s team.
“Our strength is knocking the ball around and being patient,” he said. “Finding the little spaces.”
Leal recorded two goals and two assists in an 8-1 win against Monterey High on Jan. 10.
It’s the right time to start heating up, with league play beginning last week. Leal has a team-high eight goals and six assists.
“We’re connecting more with more passing, moving and more throw balls,” Leal said.
The Wildcatz came into this season as the reigning PCAL-Gabilan champs, finishing 6-1-3 in the league standings and posting a 15-4-5 overall record.
It was their first league title since the 2014-15 season in the now-defunct Monterey Bay League.
They came out strong in the Central Coast Section Open Division quarterfinals with a win against Los Gatos High. But they froze up against Bellarmine in the semis, losing 3-0.
But Watsonville, an 11-time CCS champ, stormed back in the NorCal D-II playoffs by making it to the title game. The Wildcatz saw their hopes of a championship vanish like dust in the wind in a 2-1 loss against Marin Academy.
The Wildcatz graduated four starters—Ricardo Alvarado, Alejandro Zepeda, Noel Vega and Angel Luis Hernandez—from last year’s roster. A big hit for a team looking to get back to the NorCal playoffs.
Yet, coach Roland Hedgpeth said they’re stacked with an arsenal of returning players, including Leal, who’s leading the way, so far.
“They’re used to the pressure,” Hedgpeth said. “And yet we’ve got some young players we’ve moved in there.”
Hedgpeth, who is entering his 50th season at the helm, said some of those players include sophomores Oscar Herrera, Lombardo Flores, Juan Contreras and junior Federico Rocha-Fernandez.
Joining them are seniors Julian Garcia, the team captain, and Eric Vazquez, who is second on the team with five goals.
Senior Jeremiah Lopez returned after skipping last year’s high school season to spend a season with the Santa Cruz Breakers. Senior Brian Gonzalez has seen more playing time since last year.
“It feels good,” Gonzalez said. “It feels like I’m helping out the team more and I can make an impact coming off of the bench and starting.”
Like Leal, Gonzalez said he’s also seen this year’s group meshing well, especially after the first couple of matches. Both players said the team is more connected after battling through a tough outing at the Lotto West Showcase last month at San Clemente High in Southern California.
The Wildcatz went 1-2 in the tournament that featured some of the top teams in the state and nation.
“My goals are to win league, CCS and state,” Leal said. “And make the best out of it.”
The league features some familiar foes including North Salinas (5-3-2, 0-1), which Watsonville will play again at the end of the month.
Other teams in the league include San Benito High (2-4-4, 0-0-1), Soledad High (4-0-3, 0-0-1), Alisal High (4-4-3, 0-0-1) and last season’s runner up Alvarez High (6-1-3, 0-0-1).
“I think we’re comfortable, we should dominate this league,” Gonzalez said. “We just have to prove it in every game, one game at a time.”
Next up, the Wildcatz continue league play on the road against the Aztecs on Wednesday with kickoff slated at 5:45 p.m.
