FRESNO – In a season full of surprises, thrills and unexpected great moments, Sanger West had hopes of producing a few more as they continued their march through the Central Section Division III Championships.
Facing their toughest opponent yet, the No. 1 seed Hornets fought tooth and nail with the No. 4 seed Panthers in a double overtime thriller marked by speed, intensity and the thrilling moments that ultimately ended their remarkable season. Unfortunately, Sanger West couldn’t do enough to defend the nest in a 2-0 loss to Porterville in the semifinals of the D-III playoffs at the Sanger West Field on Feb. 20.
At the end of regulation, as the Hornets caught their breath to get ready for the first overtime (OT), and the beginning of their unexpected playoff end just started. Neither team looked physically drained following 80 minutes of fast, frenetic and at times, bruising play.
The Hornets still flew fast and strong on the pitch. And the Panthers refused to back down. Then, in the first overtime, Sanger West dropped their guard to allow Porterville to sneak in the first goal.
“So, the first goal, I thought we should’ve cleared it out instead of trying to shield the ball to the keeper,” said Sanger West head coach Gabe Banuelos. “But they had a good one v. one with the goal keeper.”
In the second OT, still clinging to hope, Sanger West made an adjustment that allowed the Panthers to prance on the ball and take it the distance. The Hornets removed a defender and tried to attack the Panthers on the sides. Unfortunately, that resulted in Porterville’s Jose Saenz dribbling the ball solo down the middle, and eventually, into the Hornets’ goal.
“We took a defender off for running two in the back, running high and up top, and we tried to run an offside trap,” said Banuelos about the switch that led to the Panther’s second goal. ‘We got caught a little bit and they scored.”
In just their third season of existence, Sanger West’s meteoric rise from cellar dwellers to section contenders had them believing they can mix it up on the pitch with the best competition. And the Hornets, despite their valiant effort, clearly lost to the best they’ve faced so far this season.
“I thought we played well; our game plan was to go at them a little bit, so I thought we played what we needed to play,” said Banuelos about his team’s execution. “That’s a good Porterville team. They’re the defending champions in this section.”
When the game ended, and Porterville let out one loud victory growl, the Hornets gathered on the sideline. They lost a heartbreaker of a game, but proved that they belong on this stage.
Finishing their season at 17-3-6 overall, Sanger West is one of the best. And next season, expect them to have a more lethal sting than this season.
“We can hold our heads high, that’s what I told these guys tonight,” said Banuelos about his team’s effort. “We’re gonna be here for a while, as long as players buy into what we’re trying to do. We’re gonna be okay.”
