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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Feeling Puckish: Prospect's Young Pham (No. 3) battles for the ball in CCS field hockey action against St. Francis. The Panthers pulled out a 1-0 win over the Lancers to move into the CCS title match.
Rain postpones field hockey final
Falcons win girls league polo title
By Dick Sparrer
There was no championship celebration after last Saturday morning's Central Coast Section title match between Los Gatos and Prospect.
But the reason was simple ... there was no match.
Wet, sloppy conditions caused the postponement of the championship match that was to be played on Monday, weather permitting.
So the Wildcats and Panthers would have to be a little patient before determining a CCS field hockey champ. But after a couple of hard-earned wins earlier in the week, the two teams could no doubt use the extra time to relax.
Both the Cats and Panthers pulled out 1-0 wins in the CCS semifinals earlier in the week, and both teams had to score second-half goals to break scoreless ties.
Los Gatos snapped a 0-0 draw when Anita Reyes knocked in a goal in the second half that led the Wildcats to a 1-0 win over Mitty.
Reyes, the leading scorer for the Cats this season with 16 goals and 14 assists, scored the game-winner with 13 minutes left to play.
Passes from Heather Kottmeier and Nikki Anderson set up the talented senior for the game-winning goal.
The win pushed the Wildcats, led by talented veteran coach Henry Reyes, into the CCS championship match. The Cats take an 11-1-2 record into the finals.
The only blemish on that otherwise solid record is an early-season loss to Prospect. And the Panthers, directed by head coach Jean Campbell, hope to snatch another win from the Wildcats in the finals.
Prospect earned its place in the championship match with a tough 1-0 victory over St. Francis last week.
Cameron Katos tapped a pass from Amber Madsen home for the only goal Prospect needed to clinch the win over the Lancers.
Goalkeeper JoNina Cross made sure that the goal stood up for the Prospect win by making seven saves in the net for the Panthers.
The Panthers, who were 12-1-4 as they moved into the CCS finals against the Wildcats on Monday, opened CCS with a 3-0 win over Monta Vista.
Los Gatos won its CCS opener in a cliffhanger, tying Willow Glen 2-2 before winning 3-2 on penalty strokes.
Panthers, Don fall
The Prospect and Del Mar football teams tied for second place with Piedmont Hills in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League with Piedmont Hills.
And all three teams joined division champ Pioneer in the Central Coast Section playoffs that began last weekend.
But as the teams of the CCS head into semifinal play this weekend, only two of the four Santa Teresa teams remain.
Pioneer opened with a lopsided 37-7 victory over King City in Division IV play, and Piedmont Hills upset Santa Clara 21-18 in Division II.
But both Prospect and Del Mar lost first-round games to area powers in Division III action last weekend.
Prospect fell 34-6 to unbeaten Los Gatos on Friday night, and Del Mar lost 45-8 to Mitty on Saturday.
The Panthers actually gave powerhouse Los Gatos a real battle for a half before losing to a solid second-half onslaught by the Wildcats.
The Cats went up 14-0 in the first quarter, but Prospect battled back in the second half when a run by junior back Saladin Washington helped set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Donald Austin.
Prospect went in trailing just 14-6 at intermission, but the Cats scored twice in the third period and one more in the fourth to clinch the victory.
Austin, a senior running back who gained 65 yards for the Panthers, joins quarterback Jordan Williams and wide receiver Andrew Heling as key seniors Prospect will lose to graduation.
But with the return of Washington, quarterback Curtis Wills and running back Ryan Sainsbury, the Panthers have a solid corps of returners for the 2000 season.
The Dons finished the year 8-3 overall after the 45-8 loss to the Monarchs on Saturday afternoon at Mitty. Del Mar trailed 45-0 in the fourth period before junior quarterback Jason Campbell raced 12 yards for a touchdown, then ran in for the two-point conversion.
Campbell, who completed eight of 17 passes for 74 yards in the game, will lead a solid crop of returners for the Dons next fall, which also includes wide receiver Chris McSwain and running backs Heavi Williams and Andrew Palmyra.
Gezahgn runs at state
Dawit Gezahgn of Del Mar be in the running at the state high school cross country championships at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 27.
Gezahgn earned his place in the state meet by placing second overall in the CCS Division II boys championships on Nov. 13 at Crystal Springs in Belmont. Gezahgn was second in 15:24 on the 2.95-mile course.
Warriors at CCS
The talented Westmont doubles team of Megan Clapp and Ann Vudalic opened play this week in the CCS girls tennis tournament that was to begin Monday at Courtside in Los Gatos, weather permitting.
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Campbell, California
