Willow Glen Resident

Sports

Willow Glen will play host to CCS field hockey finals

By Mike Barnhart

Willow Glen, the winner of the first Central Coast Section field hockey championship in 1976, will be a first-time host for the title game on Nov. 17.

The host Rams will not be among the 12 teams vying for the CCS crown this year, but they had a say in who would represent the Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division. Their 1-1 Halloween Day tie against Live Oak kept the Acorns out of the 32nd annual field hockey tournament and helped neighboring Presentation earn the third and last Santa Teresa spot in the elite field.

While Willow Glen and Live Oak were battling to a tie, the Panthers were a few blocks a way, earning a must win, 3-1 against Westmont. The Panthers finished with an 8-4-2 record and 26 points, one point better than Live Oak (8-5-1).

Presentation finished third in the Santa Teresa Division, behind Lynbrook (11-2-1, 34 points) and Monta Vista (9-4-1, 28)..

Lynbrook's first-place finish also locked down the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye. The Vikings will join No. 1 St. Francis, No. 2 Los Gatos and No. 4 Archbishop Mitty in the quarterfinals on Nov. 10 at Willow Glen.

The Lancers (10-0-2), Wildcats (8-2-2) and Monarchs (7-2-3) were the top three finishers in the BVAL's Mt. Hamilton Division, the premier league of the CCS.

Saratoga (6-5-1) and Los Altos (3-8-1), who earned spots in the CCS field as the Mt. Hamilton's fourth and fifth-place teams, will be among the eight teams playing first-round games on Nov. 8.

Although sites and times were to be finalized by the CCS on Nov. 6, the section's bylaws include a predetermined bracket. Likely first-round match-ups are No. 10 Los Altos at No. 7 Monta Vista; No. 9 Presentation at No. 8 Leigh, which completed a 12-0 unbeaten run through the West Valley Division; the No. 11 seed, North Salinas or Monterey, at No. 6 Saratoga; and No 12 Del Mar (10-2 and the West Valley runner-up) at No. 5 Gilroy, which went unbeaten in the Tri-Counties Athletic League.

Quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals Nov. 13 at Gilroy, before the finalists return to Willow Glen.