Prospect needed a win last week to wrap up the boys soccer championship in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
And the Panthers did get a win... it just came a couple of days late.
Prospect had hoped to clinch the division championship with a win over second-place Santa Teresa to open the week.
But the Saints had other ideas. Santa Teresa pulled out a 4-2 win over the Panthers to send things down to the final day of the regular season.
Santa Teresa's clutch win pushed the Saints into first place in the division at 6-2-4 (16 points), while the Panthers slipped into second at 7-3-1 (15 points).
But the league season was over at that point for Santa Teresa, and Prospect still had one game to go--a Friday clash with pesky Pioneer. A win would give the Panthers the division title, a tie would force a title tie and a Pioneer win would give the Saints the crown.
And by halftime of the Friday game, nothing had been decided. Junior goalkeeper Josh Hawthorne had held the Mustangs scoreless, but the Panthers hadn't scored either, and the clubs were locked in a 0-0 draw.
But junior midfielder Adam Cole knocked in a second-half goal off an assist from junior Francisco Martinez, and that was all Mike Karr's Panthers needed to secure the thrilling 1-0 victory and the division championship.
The win marked the end of a brilliant league season for the Panthers. Prospect finished up 8-3-1 in the division after posting a dismal 1-5-1 mark in a tough preseason. The Panthers hope to continue their winning ways when the Central Coast Section playoffs begin Feb. 16.
Prospect could have clinched the title two days earlier, but Santa Teresa kept things interesting with a 4-2 victory.
The Saints jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half. Prospect battled back with two goals in the second half, but the Saints matched that total to claim the 4-2 win.
Junior midfielder Russell Ortiz knocked in a penalty kick for Prospect's first goal, and Martinez scored off an assist from sophomore Myles Forman for the second goal for the Panthers.
In other boys soccer action last week, Saratoga lost a tight 1-0 decision to Los Gatos to slip to 0-10-2 in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Meanwhile, in girls soccer, Prospect won a pair of games to finish the Mt. Hamilton Division season with a 6-3-5 record. The Panthers will take a solid 12-4-5 season mark into CCS play.
Junior sensation Lindsay Spanek knocked in a pair of goals off two assists from senior Mariko Yoshihara to lead the Panthers to a 4-0 win over Leland.
Brianne Copes scored off a couple of assists from Jennifer Eustace and Yoshihara, and Shani Armstrong scored off an assist from Nicole Kiyama.
Earlier in the week, Armstrong and Kristel Munch each knocked in a pair of goals, and Copes, Yoshihara, Spanek and Kiyama each added assists in a 4-2 win over Independence.
Westmont finished up 6-4-4 in the Santa Teresa Division with a 1-0 win over Willow Glen. The Warriors lost 1-0 to Valley Christian and 3-2 to Yerba Buena earlier in the week.
Freshman Jessica Cone drilled a first-half goal off an assist from senior Meghan Miyamoto, but the Saratoga girls dropped a 5-1 decision to Los Gatos last week.
The Falcons slipped to 3-9-2 in the De Anza Division and to 5-12-3 for the year.
Saratoga, California Since 1975
