So close, yet so far.
A historical journey for the Watsonville High boys soccer team came to a heart-rending end Saturday afternoon.
The No. 1 Wildcatz came up short on bringing home a California Interscholastic Federation title following a stunning 1-0 loss to No. 6 Los Alamitos High in the inaugural Division III state final.
Watsonville’s defense got caught slipping in the 52nd minute, allowing Carter Coleman to score the game’s lone goal for the Griffins.
It was a tightly contested match as anticipated as both teams were scoreless going into halftime.
The ‘Catz dominated the possession game in the second half, nearly scoring twice. They continued to stretch the right side, trying to get the right wings free for an open cross pass but failed to finish in the 18-yard box.
Watsonville’s momentum slowed down as the game clock continued to tick away. Yet, they had ample opportunities to score on five corner kick chances near the end.
But it was the Griffins who walked off the field victorious with their first-ever state championship in the school’s history.
Editor’s note: Check back for an updated version of this story with more highlights and quotes.
