WATSONVILLE — Gabby Felix never got frustrated.
She never let doubt creep into her head.
Despite being called offsides about a handful of times in the second half, Felix kept her mind on the task at hand.
The junior forward scored three goals, including a pair over the last six minutes, to lead Watsonville High past Harbor High, 5-1, on Thursday evening and into the championship game of their own tournament.
“I just did what I had to do,” Felix said.
A year after leading Watsonville (4-0) to its first league title since 2011-12 and being named the top player in the Monterey Bay League Pacific division, Felix has picked up right where she left off.
Her hat-trick on Thursday night gave her four goals on the early season.
Felix last year recorded 25 goals in 19 contests to also power Watsonville to its first Central Coast Section playoff berth since 2011-12.
“I’ve been waiting for her to do that,” said Watsonville head coach Gladys Mondragon. “Hopefully it’s something that she’s going to continue to do and she keeps getting more confident. It’s fun to see her finish.”
Felix and the Wildcatz will try to continue their hot start on Saturday night against Santa Cruz High, which has rolled through its first two tournament games by a combined score of 13-0.
The championship tilt is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Felix said she knows a couple of the players on the Cardinals’ squad after playing with them over the summer.
The pleasantries, however, will have to wait until after the game.
“A game’s a game,” Felix said. “You’re always going to have that competition. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. As long as you’re playing hard and do your best, that’s all that matters.”
Usually a starter, Felix came off the pine in the 25th minute with a 2-0 cushion thanks to goals from freshman forward Denise Corrales and junior forward Ashley Haduca in the 12th and 22nd minute, respectively.
Three minutes later, Felix beat her defender and pushed the ball past the keeper to score her first goal of the evening.
Harbor (0-2) caught Watsonville sleeping in the 36th minute to make it 3-1 at the half and the Pirates carried the momentum over into the final 40 minutes.
Harbor’s defense did just enough to hamper the Wildcatz’s attack and its offense was scrappy in moments. Watsonville was forced to rely on the long ball and Felix, Haduca and Corrales couldn’t quite time their runs perfectly, resulting in several offside calls.
Junior keeper Jessica Zavala and the Watsonville defense held tough through a flurry of shots starting in the 65th minute and Felix finally broke through the Pirates’ defensive shell in the 74th off an assist from senior defender Annah Ramirez.
She put the nail in the coffin and wowed the crowd just a few minutes later by juking a girl in the open field, beating the defense with her speed and zipping the ball into the net past the diving keeper.
“The space was in front of me so I took advantage of it,” Felix said. “The goal was right there so I just took it.”
Zavala finished with five saves and the Watsonville defense came through for the fourth straight match.
The goal late in the first half was the first the Wildcatz have allowed this season.
“This is a fun group to work with because everyone has their own talent,” said Watsonville senior Annalee Robledo, who, much like last season, played all over the field on Thursday. “It’s just fun. Everyone’s moving. We just make beautiful passes.”
