Hollister had an incredible run in the playoffs, winning the school's first boys soccer Central Coast Section championship.
The Baylors won the Division 2 title as the No. 8 seed, upsetting host and No. 1 seed Westmont 3-2 in overtime and defeating Serra of the West Catholic Athletic League 2-1 in San Mateo. He broke it and received praise. Hollister also shut out third-seeded powerhouse Los Gatos 2-0 on its way to the title.
“This has never happened before in Burrell's soccer history and made us proud of our team,” said Hollister's Adrian Valdez. “We had a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, but we were able to play great and come together towards the end.”
The CCS Championship trophy matches the school's first girls soccer team title in 2023, which defeated Thomas More, Everett Alvarez and Soledad to win the CCS Division IV title. Hollister soccer achieved new heights on both sides.
After winning the CCS title, the Baler boys went on to play in the NorCal Division III playoffs. They lost 3-1 to Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa on February 27th, ending the season with a record of 12-10-2. In the Pacific Coast Athletic League's Gavilan Division, the Baylors finished third with a record of 6-5-1.
“I'm proud of our team for never quitting,” coach Greg Bloom said. “We tied the game with zero time left and advanced to the first round of the CCS playoffs. Our players never gave up and won the first CCS title in school history.”
The team got off to an inauspicious start. They were just 1-4-1 against stiff competition early on. Closing out December with shutout wins over Yerba Buena and Pajaro Valley provided a glimpse of the improvement to come.
“Going into the season after a failed preseason, I changed my mindset, not only in games but in practice,” Hollister's Amado Canelo said. “This change in mindset has made us grow as a team and as individuals. I believe the preseason challenges have allowed us to grow and come together when we needed to.”
Bloom's team has jumped to 6-0-1 since the Jan. 11 league game, during which the Baylors have outscored their opponents 16-6.
“We've played some pretty tough teams like St. Francis and Carlmont,” Bloom said. “The team started playing very well in mid-January. The players on the bench stepped up, really challenged the starters, and improved their overall play. The defense was great all season, and all the players We were trying our best to get the ball back. We're not a big team, we're not a strong team, but a lot of our players know how to use their bodies and know how to recover and get the ball back.”
Hollister stumbled a bit at the end of the regular season. He suffered three losses, during which the Baylors scored only one goal. But then the playoffs started.
Top-seeded Westmont was at home in its playoff opener. Oswaldo Huerta Sanchez scored Burrell's first goal of the day, but the Warriors took a 2-1 lead over Burrell in the final minutes. With just seconds left, first-team all-leaguer David Barba scored the tying goal. Hernan Alessandro scored the winning goal in overtime, taking a big step forward with a 3-2 victory that surprised host Westmont.
On February 21st in San Mateo, Hollister faced Serra, the alma mater of famous American football players Tom Brady and Lynn Swann. On the soccer pitch, the Padres were strong with a dramatic win over Aptos.
The Baylors were more than ready for this challenge. Hollister came roaring in with high energy, winning one-on-one battles, scoring two goals in the first 26 minutes and threatening to score more. On the other hand, the defense put up a fierce physical battle and contained Serra.
Carlos Garcia and Emiliano Castro led a dangerous attack right from kick-off. Diego Hernandez scored in the 7th minute. Alessandro scored in the 26th minute.
“The first play was a cross from Carlos (Garcia),” Alessandro said. “It hit the back post and Diego (Hernandez) headed it in. The second one was a long ball. Emiliano (Castro) trapped it. I looked for an opening.”
Bloom cited the team's strong start and noted that the Baylors could have scored more. He praised the strong defense, especially the great defense in the first half. Serra continued to struggle in the second half. In the final moments, Edward Velasquez scored from a multi-player scrum in front of the Padres' goal, making the final score 2-1.
“We are excited. The team is in a good place, but the work is not done yet,” said Alessandro after the win against Serra. “The key was our mindset and not being too physical. Defensively, our two center backs, Ezequiel (Suarez) and Anthony (Nunez), really stepped up. ”
In attack, Barba was complemented by Diego Hernandez, Castro, Alessandro, Oswaldo Huerta Sánchez, Adrian Cortés Moreno, Brian Hernandez and García. The midfield helped contain Serra's attack, and the final line was solid, including Valdes, Adan Cerrato-San Ramon, Nunez, Suarez and Jared Huerta. With no other goalie available for the game against Serra, Yair Arias stepped up from the JV team and had a great performance.
“They just didn’t hit any good shots down the stretch,” Bloom said. “In the second half we were a little sluggish. I was really happy with our keeper Yair (Arias). He really improved. He was controlling the box and made smart decisions.”
Coach Bloom cited Barba as an attacking midfielder and excellent defender, and Garcia as a defensive midfielder who has been consistent throughout the year. He added that Diego Hernandez, who plays deep in midfield to help the defense, has added six assists this season as of the game against Serra. Garcia and Cerrato-San Ramon also earned first-team honors, while Castro, Diego Hernandez and Huerta earned second-team honors.
“We ran into the wrong team,” Serra coach Michael Keller said. “They had momentum from the jump. A goal this early gave them a lot of confidence. It was tough for us. Credit to Hollister. They played well and were well-coached. . They had a more complete game. That No. 9 (Castro) was really good.”
On February 24, Burrells played in the school's first CCS finals. In an afternoon game at Del Mar High School in west San Jose, Hollister faced a Los Gatos team that went 12-0-3, including five shutouts. The game reached halftime at 0-0. Alessandro converted a penalty in the 62nd minute, after which Brian Hernandez evaded a defender and fired a shot past the Los Gatos keeper for a 2-0 lead until the end.
Hollister was competing in the NorCal Regional Tournament for the first time. In NorCal Division III, Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa defeated Hollister, 22-2-2.
Nathan Lubega converted a penalty kick for the Cardinals in the 17th minute. Castro tied it with a highlight-reel goal. He won the ball, dribbled forward, kicked the defender, moved around the keeper, got a good look at the net, and kicked it into the goal.
The goal came in the 38th minute and the score was tied at 1-1 at halftime. Hollister pressed hard in the second half and had several good chances, but could not convert.
In the 62nd minute, Lucas Flores headed in a corner kick for the away team. Saúl Cuéllar added another goal in the 70th minute for a 3-1 victory.
“After the first 10 minutes of the game, I felt like our team settled in and played the way we wanted to,” Bloom said. “We felt we had good control of the game, but we struggled to create dangerous chances. Their last line defense was great and they had a physical advantage over our players. The second goal It came from a corner kick against a run of play. Their third goal came after we got our guys going in the final minute of the game and they hit a great shot from the outside.”
Nevertheless, it was a historic season for Hollister, winning the team's first CCS title. Additionally, the Baylors qualified for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. The first three of those games ended in the opening round of the playoffs, but the 2024 Baylors made it all the way.
“It was a feeling I've never felt before because I've never gone this far in past seasons,” Valdez said. “It was such a surreal feeling to think that we had made history for our school. Especially since many of us have been playing soccer together since we were seven years old, it was so great to be a part of history.” It’s rewarding.”