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Gunn was the surprise boys soccer team of both the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and of the Central Coast Section last season, far exceeding expectations.
This year, in the middle of a strange new world, the Titans moved up to the De Anza Division. It was time for the rest of the league to show Gunn a thing or two.
What? Gunn worry?
The Titans, who beat visiting Los Altos, 2-1, on Friday, became the first ‘B’ league champion to win a CCS Division I title last season. Whether they get a chance to defend that title is up in the air.
Right now, they don’t care. Right now, Gunn can celebrate clinching the best record in the division, the first time a Gunn team has moved up and did that in the upper division in its first year.
What’s next? Manchester?
Los Altos, which current Gunn coach Vava Marques coached two years ago, came to town as the second-place team and left without a chance to match the Titans (9-0-1).
Marques built this year’s team around four returning starters and a year of experience in his system.
Both teams played inspired but Gunn was able to take advantage of Dane Jefferson’s accurate foot. He scored both goals, one in each half. His first goal came during a scramble in the box after a corner kick the last three minutes of the first half.
Los Altos tied the game midway through the second half. But Jefferson returned the lead to Gunn, scoring off an aerial free kick that brought the goalkeeper out of position and allowed Jefferson to put one into the back of the net.
Titans’ goalkeeper Joaquim Bonnet made several key saves and was supported by a strong back line of defenders in Alexis Bromberg, Jonathan Miradi and Nickolas Romero.
Gunn finishes the season with a pair of games next week: playing at Los Gatos on Tuesday and hosting Homestead on Thursday.
The Gunn athletic department will honor the soccer league championship like any other year.
Boys water polo
Gavin West scored four goals and recorded two assists in helping Sacred Heart Prep end its undefeated season with a 20-7 victory over host Valley Christian in a nonleague game Friday night.
Isaac Rotenberg added five goals, including the game’s first two scores, as the Gators (13-0) never trailed in the contest.
Valley Christian was within 6-5 with 4:20 remaining in the first half. The Warriors were held scoreless the rest of the half and SHP scored five unanswered goals to take control.
Griff Price and Wyatt Stenson combined for 11 saves and a .611 save percentage.
Michael Heller added three goals and an assist and Will Swart scored once and had three assists. Luke Weigle, Tyler Hogan and Jake Tsotadze each had two goals. Harrison Rohlen also scored.
Girls lacrosse
Ellie Noto and Genna Gibbons combined to score seven goals and record four assists but Sacred Heart Prep dropped a 15-10 nonleague decision to host St. Ignatius on Friday in its season opener.
Lauren Hall recorded 10 saves for the Gators, who host Menlo-Atherton on Wednesday afternoon.
By Rick Eymer
By Rick Eymer
By Rick Eymer