Jackie Cano has been an unstoppable force for the Watsonville girls’ soccer team since the Central Coast Section playoffs began in mid February.
The star senior forward was responsible for three game-winning goals, including the go-ahead score in overtime that helped the No. 4 Wildcatz defeat No. 3 Nueva, 3-2, in the Division V finals Feb 28.
In their first-ever CCS finals appearance, both Cano and the girls soccer program will bring home some new hardware.
“Very excited because we made history,” Cano said. “That’s a pretty big deal for me, and I liked how the team worked together. We all stood on business, we all showed that we wanted it, and I think that we deserve this.”
Watsonville head coach Gladys Mondragon said they undoubtedly deserved, and earned, every bit of their first section championship.
“They put a stamp into the competition, and they put in a stamp that there’s girls soccer in our community, as well,” Mondragon said. “Just making it here was already a big thing, and now winning the CCS championship just goes beyond that.”
The ‘Catz were already at a disadvantage by having to play one extra match just to get into the playoffs. They wound up beating Santa Catalina, 3-0, in the teams’ CCS play-in game Feb. 17.
Watsonville then edged No. 5 Alvarez, 1-0, in the quarterfinals on Feb. 21, followed by a stunning victory four days later over top seeded Terra Nova, 1-0, in the semifinals.
Cano, who was named the Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division’s Most Valuable Player, was responsible for scoring the lone goals in the first two playoff games, and keeping their postseason run alive.
“At first, I didn’t picture it,” said Cano about winning a CCS title. “I thought we had a lower level team that was left last year. But I saw that all the girls wanted to work hard, even if the division we were in was lower.”
Cano added, “We played like we were in Gabilan [Division]”
PCAL Mission Division runner-up Watsonville (16-5-1) earned the No. 2 seed in the California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Regional championships.
They will host No. 7 McLane (17-9-1) of Fresno—champion of the North Yosemite League within the CIF Central Section—on Tuesday at 4:30pm.
The Highlanders are ranked No. 443 in California, while the ‘Catz sit at No. 193 in the state.
“Only a few get to make it, and they were one of the few,” Mondragon said. “They took that opportunity to be there.”
In last week’s CCS D-V final, Cano was once again in the mix of things.
Just before halftime, Cano told teammate junior Alexa Molina to be alert on a free kick that she knew was going over her head.
Molina received the pass from the 30-yard line marker, broke away from her defender to take control of the ball, and zipped a shot past Nueva senior goalkeeper Ava Jaliali for her first goal this season.
“Just having that belief that [Molina] could do it, and that confidence that she could finish that the way she finished was amazing,” Mondragon said.
The second half turned into a tug-of-war battle starting with a game-tying goal from Nueva in the 59th minute.
Two minutes later, the ‘Catz retook the lead at 2-1 as Cano came storming down the field to record the first of her two goals.
The Mustangs responded with another game-tying goal off a corner kick in the 69th, forcing the match to go into a pair of 10-minute overtime periods.
“It’s not that our girls are not strong at that moment, but it just takes an opportunity to get on goal, so they took advantage of that,” Mondragon said.
Cano put the ‘Catz ahead for good with a goal off a corner kick in the first overtime period.
“It was just a bunch of girls grouped up,” she said. “The goalkeeper got the ball, she kind of spit it out. I don’t think she knew it was happening because everybody was crowded.”
Cano recalls watching Jaliali release the ball about two centimeters from a teammate’s foot as she stole it, and drilled her shot to the back of the net.
“I was like, ‘We’re gonna win,’” Cano said. “We just gotta defend and get [the ball] out.”
As the minutes ticked away on the game clock, Mondragon and the rest of the ‘Catz squad stood anxiously for the referee to call the match.
They ran on the field as soon as the official blew the final whistle, signaling that Watsonville was indeed a section champion for the first time in the program’s history.
“We brought back the win to our community and I’m just proud we did it as a team,” Cano said. “We all contributed to this one. Everybody did everything, not just one person.”
