By Jon Chown
The Aptos High School girls soccer team finished non-league play with a record of 5-3-1 and some impressive victories. Now their goal of winning their fourth straight league title begins.
The Mariners finished 9-0-1 in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League last year to win their third straight title. Coach Gina Castaneda, in her fifth season, said it will not be easy, but the girls are determined to win another title.
“We have seniors on this squad that have won the league three years in a row. Their goal is to win four league championships straight. That’s their goal, and I’m just helping them do that.”
The Mariners faced their first opponent in league play, Santa Cruz, on Jan. 13, the day this publication went to press. Castaneda said Santa Cruz and Soquel will be contending for the title “neck and neck” with Aptos.
“All three of us are contenders for the league title,” she said. “And I have to say Harbor High has really built its program, and Scotts Valley is really coming up, too. So it really depends on who shows up that day and who really wants it. Last year we thought we would sweep the league, and we didn’t.”
Tough Matchups Start Season
Non-league play presented some huge challenges for the Mariners, as they faced some much larger schools. For the first time in Castaneda’s tenure, the team defeated Hollister 3-1 to start the season. Castaneda said the girls broke through a mental barrier in that victory.
“They came in very determined. They came in mentally prepared to walk through any barriers they might have,” she said.
After that match, Aptos defeated Mountain View 3-2 and then Watsonville 5-0. Unfortunately, one of the Mariners’ best attackers, Scarlett Stateler, was injured. The junior dislocated and sprained a knee and will miss the rest of the season. Castaneda said she’ll be hugely missed. She scored 13 goals last season and had already scored three this season in less than three matches. But beyond her play, her presence during practices and her example were also helpful.
“Her work ethic is unheard of. Ever since she’s been on the team, she’s worked so hard. She’s super determined,” the coach said. “And she has skills you can’t coach — going to the goal.”
Despite the loss, Castaneda said the six seniors on the team will lead them to victory. “They are basically leading it,” she said.
After the 3-0 start, Aptos faced stiff competition and suffered a 4-3 loss to St. Ignatius High School, a 4-0 loss to Los Gatos High School, and a 5-1 loss to Patrick Henry High School. They also defeated Pajaro Valley 2-1 and rolled Montwood 8-0.
Castaneda said the team learned a lot by playing against powerhouses like Patrick Henry, which is ranked No. 22 in the state and in the top 100 nationally. The San Diego high school has more than 2,500 students, according to its website. Los Gatos, with more than 2,100 students, is ranked No. 41 in the state and 114th nationally. Castaneda said those difficult games showed the team what skills they needed to improve on, not just for SCCAL play, but for the Central Coast Section tournament after.
“We’re really happy to have had the opportunity to play against them. The girls are bummed when they walk away from those losses, but we got to challenge ourselves,” the coach said.
Watch Out, League!
Castaneda said she expects league play to be very competitive this season, and several of her players might surprise their opponents. Isabella Hartnett, a junior, has led the league in scoring two years in a row, but voters have failed to name her Attacker of the Year. The coach said teams better look out for her. “When they see her now, soccerwise, she’s gotten so much better,” she said.
Alexa Castaneda, the coach’s daughter and a senior this year, is having another great year. She scored two goals against Monterey when the team was trailing 2-0. “She’s the heart of the team,” the coach said.
Castaneda also praised two defenders, seniors Isabella Schenone and Anahi Najera. “They are dominating from the back line. Schenone is an underrated player. She’s able to transition into attacking and finishing. Coaches have not really noticed how talented she is. Neither has really gotten the attention they deserved in the past, but opponents will be very surprised.”
Also playing defender is Maddison Redding, also a senior, who is back from injury and now fit. “People aren’t expecting to see how great of a player she is now that she’s fully recovered,” Castaneda said.
It’s a lot of talent, Castaneda said, and it allows her to use different formations to match up with whatever the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses are.
“The girls play four different formations. They’re very versatile,” she explained. “We do a lot of film. We do a PowerPoint presentation before every game and go over our opponent. … Their soccer IQ is growing.”