The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Header: Presentation senior Danielle Slaton uses her head to help the Panthers to a 3-0 win over Mitty in the CCS Division II championship game.

Presentation wins CCS title

And Hernandez knew they would all along

By Dick Sparrer

Mani Hernandez knew it all along.

He knew it when his Presentation girls' soccer team won 12 straight games to claim the championship in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

He knew it when his Panthers lost one of their four preseason games.

Heck, he even knew it back in November before Presentation had played a single game.

Hernandez knew that his Panthers were going to win the Central Coast Section championship.

Okay, maybe he didn't exactly know it. But the veteran coach had a pretty good idea that his Presentation crew had the talent to win it all.

And win it all they did.

Presentation wrapped up the CCS Division II playoffs with a convincing 3-0 win over Mitty in the championship game last week--a win that made Hernandez's preseason prediction complete.

The Presentation coach had said that "experience should take us to the league and CCS titles."

His words were proven true in the Mt. Hamilton Division season, where the Panthers rolled to 12 straight victories. And they were proven true in the postseason as well when the Panthers defeated three straight opponents by a combined score of 13-2.

He said that the Panthers had the experience, and they certainly did, with all-league returners Aly Wagner, Breana Boling, Krista Boling and Danielle Slaton in the field and Shaelyn Fernandez in the goal.

Fernandez blanked Mitty in the CCS title game, and Wagner starred on the offensive end of the field for the Panthers.

Wagner, who along with B. Boling and Slaton earned places on the prestigious Parade All-American team, knocked in two goals and Slaton scored off an assist from freshman Megan Gurney to lead Presentation to the title-clinching victory.

The win came after impressive back-to-back 5-1 victories over Aragon and Gunn, and helped the Panthers wrap up an 18-1 season record.

The CCS title proved a fitting end to outstanding high school soccer careers for Wagner, Slaton, Fernandes and the Boling sisters. Jacy Giles, Annie Griffith, Rachel Neustadter, Lyda Velez and Eileen Fincutter were other seniors on the CCS championship squad.

But don't get the idea that this section crown marks the end of the road for the Panthers--it's more of a changing of the guard.

The talented seniors will simply pass the torch to future stars that include outstanding freshmen like Gurney, Megan Chimenti, Kelly Sweitzer and Marie Gutto.

Juniors Stephanie Neustadter, Kelly Pryor, Erica Timiraos, Adrianne Rizzo, Kristen Gordon and Beth Gutto were other members of the championship squad along with sophomores Julie Stamps, Jennifer Javernick, Katie Murphy, Catherine Wilson, Lauren Boitano and Sarah Bryson.

Willow Glen Girls

The Willow Glen girls were knocked out of postseason play in the first round of the CCS Division II playoffs, but it was still quite a year for the Rams.

Michael Herauf's squad had finished the year 0-14 in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL in the 1996-97 season, but the Rams turned it around this season in impressive fashion.

Willow Glen dropped down to the West Valley Division and put together a 13-1 to tie Mt. Pleasant for the division crown.

The championship gave the Rams a spot in the CCS playoffs, but they lost their first round game to Gunn, 9-1.

Still, it was a great year for the Rams, and the rest of the coaches in the West Valley Division must have agreed--because Willow Glen dominated the all-league team selected by the division coaches.

Freshman Colleen Wozny and senior Meghan Compton were among the winners of special honors on the all-league team.

Wozny was named the league's most valuable player, and for good reason. The outstanding Willow Glen freshman forward averaged more than two goals and one assist per game in league play. Wozny knocked in 30 goals and passed out 14 assists in the 14 league games.

Compton was selected as the league's best defensive player after helped the Rams notch nine shutouts in the 14 league contests. Willow Glen allowed an average of less than a goal a game in West Valley Division action.

Junior forward Melissa Ybarra, junior fullback Carley Lawrence, junior forward Kristen Rovai and freshman center-mid Lindsey Rovai were Willow Glen players named to the all-league first team.

Ybarra finished league play with 13 goals and eight assists for the Rams. K. Rovai had seven goals and eight assists, and L. Rovai added seven goals and five assists. Lawrence played "tenacious defense," Herauf said.

Junior goalkeeper Amber Molina, sophomore halfback Kristina Gerard and sophomore forward Kellie Arnone were Rams tabbed to the all-league second team.

Molina recorded the nine shutouts in the net for Willow Glen, and Gerard with four goals and seven assists and Arnone with six goals and seven assists were other offensive stars for the Rams. Senior stopper Erin Wozny and junior halfback Amy Johnson were Willow Glen players named to the all-league honorable mention list.

Rounding out the list of special-honors winner in the league were Jenny Donnegan of San Jose, best offensive player; Tanya Reyes of Silver Creek, best midfielder; and Adrienne Moser of Silver Creek, best goalkeeper.

Winning first team honors were Melissa Resendez, Wendy Corral, Felice Sotelo and Monica Ayala of Mt. Pleasant; Bianca Sanchez of San Jose; Melissa Viera of Silver Creek; Deja Valdez of Gunderson; Christina Sousa of Lick; and Truly Pineda of Yerba Buena.

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