Saratoga News

Sports

League champion Falcons set for CCS soccer playoffs

By Dick Sparrer

It's been a while since Saratoga was dominating the field in Central Coast Section boys soccer. But in the early years of the tournament, the Falcons were among the best in the CCS.

Saratoga participated in 11 of the first 13 CCS tournaments from 1972 through 1983. Five times the Falcons reached the finals, and in 1982 they won the section crown.

Still, Saratoga has suffered a bit of a drought in CCS representation in recent years. But the Falcons are hoping that all ends this year.

Saratoga, champions in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, has earned its first CCS berth since 2000. The Falcons will open the postseason on Feb. 14 when they visit Terra Nova at 7 p.m. in a CCS Division II game.

Saratoga, the No. 11 seed with a 9-4-5 season record, challenges No. 6 Terra Nova (11-2-4) with the winners to face the No. 3 Overfelt (13-0-6)-No. 14 Soquel (8-6-4) winner on Feb. 17. The tournament semifinals at Feb. 21 with the championship game on Feb. 23, 4:30 p.m., both at Milpitas High School.

Saratoga was a dominant team through the decades of the 1970s and '80s. The section playoffs began in 1972, and the Falcons made the finals three times and the semifinals three other times over the first eight years of the tourney.

After making it to the quarterfinals in 1980, Saratoga finished second in 1981, losing a 1-0 heartbreaker to San Jose, then won it with a 1-0 win over Leland in 1982.

Since that time, the Falcons have had appearances in 1983, 1992, 1994 and 2000, but lost in the first round each year.