WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley High sophomore Kristof Garcia is one of the youngest players on the Grizzlies boys’ soccer team roster this season.
However, the standout midfielder is slowly developing into one of the best on the pitch, especially the way he’s been playing as of late.
Garcia knocked in a pair of penalty kicks in a 3-2 win over Rancho San Juan High in Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division action on Monday.
Sure, there was a little pressure but it was just something he knew he had to quickly brush off.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything else, everything was blocked out of my mind,” he said. “I just wanted to hit it in.”
Pajaro Valley coach Cesar Rojas has been impressed with Garcia since joining the varsity team as a freshman. Especially after Monday’s game when Garcia volunteered to take the penalty kicks.
“I always tell him, ‘If you feel like you can take the PK and you’re confident, do it. I don’t mind,’” Rojas said. “But we came out on fire today. It was a great win.”
With the win, the Grizzlies improved to 9-1-0 and sit atop of the Cypress Division standings, inching them a step closer to their first league crown since 2014-15 and a trip back to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“We knew it was a must-win, at any cost,” Rojas said. “I feel like the championship was this game, to be honest.”
Pajaro Valley senior forward Ignacio Aguado believes they had a much higher level of energy from the start, despite RSJ’s attempt to intimidate the Grizzlies.
“We did the same thing and we did it more,” Aguado said.
Aguado was excited because the Trailblazers have been the team that’s challenged them the most besides Gonzales High, which handed the Grizzlies their lone loss of the season.
Both teams were tied at 7-1-0 going into the match and fighting for first place.
“I was really looking forward to this game, to beating them,” Aguado said. “One of my teammates told me that when they came on the bus, they were talking a bunch of smack. We wanted to shut their mouths, that’s what we like doing.”
Garcia said Monday’s game was frustrating at times and it was a tough battle, yet they managed to get the victory.
Garcia gave Pajaro Valley a 2-0 lead just before going into halftime, giving them a nice cushion for the second half.
That was until the Trailblazers pulled to within a score in the 50th minute.
Aguado was still confident they had it under control and at that point it was about keeping possession, while attempting to add another goal on the scoreboard.
Garcia got his second attempt at a penalty kick midway through the second half and extended PV’s lead to 3-1.
“It was really important to us and I think it means a lot to our staff, our coaches and our players,” Garcia said.
Rojas did receive a bit of a scare when he saw Aguado go down with an apparent injury to his left leg in the final 10 minutes of the game and was helped off the pitch by medical staff.
But senior midfielders Johan Vazquez and Isaac Rojas along with Garcia stepped up when their team captain went down.
Aguado suffered a cramp on his left calf, which was nothing too serious but it did frighten Rojas and the rest of his teammates.
“Losing Nacho [Aguado] is big for me, he’s one of my best players,” Rojas said.
Aguado recorded a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over Pacific Grove and he will return Friday hoping to get some redemption against Gonzales.
He mentioned their first meeting, which the Spartans won 2-0, was a learning experience. Aguado felt like they were too self-assured and the field conditions weren’t the best, either.
“I feel like we were too confident and that changed after that game,” he said.
Pajaro Valley and Gonzales will square off at the Grizzlies’ Den on Friday at 3pm.
“We’re going to have to come up with a really good game plan for Friday,” Rojas said. “They were not excited about losing against Gonzales and their undefeated season. Let’s see what’s going to happen.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said that Pajaro Valley High senior Ignacio Aguado sat out in Wednesday night’s win against Pacific Grove High, which is incorrect. Aguado played in the match, recording one goal and one assist for Pajaro Valley.
