It hasn't happened often, but it will happen this week. The Central Coast Section soccer playoffs will enter the semifinal round, and there will be no Los Gatos team in the field.
The Wildcats came close, both in boys and girls competition. But the Gatos boys dropped a 4-1 quarterfinal decision to Carlmont last weekend, and the Gatos girls lost their CCS opener 1-0 to Notre Dame of Belmont.
The boys actually got off to a hot start in the Division II playoffs. Los Gatos opened the post-season tournament with a 2-0 win over Alisal.
Senior Ed Simmonds knocked in a first-half goal off an assist from junior midfielder Ben Frazier to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at intermission.
Senior Ryan Jacobson added an insurance goal in the second half off an assist from senior midfielder Jedd Martin, and that's all senior goalkeeper Jordan Stuhlmueller needed to help the Wildcats nail down the victory.
Los Gatos, the No. 6 seed in the 14-team division, advanced to the quarterfinal round against No. 3 seeded Carlmont, but the Wildcats dropped a 4-1 nod to the Scots.
The loss ended the season for the Cats, who finished the year with a 9-3-6 record overall.
Seniors Martin, Simmonds, Stuhlmueller and Chris Cavanagh were each playing their final game for the Wildcats after sensational 1998-99 performances. Simmonds and Cavanagh were the top two scorers on the year for the Wildcats, and Martin was the leading assist man for the Cats. Stuhlmueller was a wall in the goal for Gatos.
Seniors Jacobson and David Ibarra were other top scorers for the Cats, and both played their final prep game against Carlmont.
Zack Knipe, Peter Hoffman, Curt Wahlstrom, Jeff Ouellet, David Nielsen and John Gize are other seniors Los Gatos will lose to graduation. All but Ouellet figured in the scoring for the Wildcats this past season.
Frazier tops the list of underclassmen who will lead the Cats into action next year. He joined Martin as a big assist man for Gatos this winter. Don Hilliker, John Dyson and Rory Quick are other juniors who figured in the scoring with either goals or assists this season and who will return next winter.
Goalkeepers Jon Starrett and Greg Blevins were other juniors on the Gatos squad, along with Kevin Carney, Chris Manganello and Gavin Wheery.
It was an uncharacteristic short CCS appearance for the Los Gatos girls when they lost their Division II opener 1-0 to Notre Dame-Belmont last weekend.
The Cats entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed, but lost to No. 4-seeded Notre Dame when Belmont knocked in a first-half goal and held on for the win. The loss ended an otherwise sensational season for the Wildcats, who finished up 12-4-1 overall.
The Wildcats will lose only five players to graduation from this squad, but they are mighty key players, indeed.
Seniors Stacey Caro, Nancy Mills, Stephanie Pearson, Amie Salfen and Marcia Wallis all played their final high school soccer game for Los Gatos in the loss to Notre Dame.
Caro, Salfen and Wallis accounted for the bulk of the Los Gatos scoring this winter. The three combined for 39 goals and 23 assists in leading the Cats to the solid 12-4-1 season.
Caro and Salfen are the team co-captains, and Salfen ended up as the squad's leading scorer with 20 goals. She also led the club with an impressive 12 assists.
Wallis pounded home 14 goals and dished off four assists, despite spending much of December and January in Florida playing for national teams.
Caro had a solid senior season with five goals and seven assists for the Wildcats.
Pearson was solid in the goal for Gatos. Los Gatos opponents scored more than a goal in only five of the 17 games this year, and she helped the Wildcats record six shutouts.
Los Gatos outscored its opponents 57-17.
Sophomore Kristen Fumia is the top scorer among the Los Gatos returners. Fumia had four goals and four assists for the Cats this year, and junior Bethany Peterson had two goals and four assists.
Juniors Lindsay Adams, Katy Castenada, Megan Geldman, Sunny Vizzusi and Becca Bradley all figured in the scoring for the Wildcats this season and will all return next winter for their senior seasons.
Freshman Becky May and sophomore Nicki Anderson also joined in the scoring for Los Gatos and will be back next year along with freshman Kristen Horn, sophomores Alyssa Gordon and Heather Hale and juniors Amanda Vallejo, Meghan Kirby-McFarland and Meghan O'Brien.
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