Carlmont falters in CCS Division IV final

Which is where the Carlmont boys’ soccer found itself. Less than 10 minutes from overtime, second-seeded Aptos fired home a perfectly placed shot in the 71st minute to to give the Mariners a 2-1 win in the CCS Division IV title game at Del Mar High School Saturday afternoon.

Fourth-seeded Carlmont (8-7-6) was denied their first CCS crown since 1999, while Aptos (16-2-3) won the first title in program history.

If the last 10 minutes of the game are the championship minutes, the opening 10 can be a tone setter and Carlmont certainly opened with bang when Zach Elliott converted a Xavier Grussing pass into a 1-0 Scots’ lead just five minutes into the game.

But Aptos answered right back, with Julian Torres setting up an Ivan Zavala equalizer in the 13th minute as the game was tied 1-all at halftime.

Aptos had been building to what became the game-winning goal over the final 30 minutes of the game, getting four good looks at goal.

Nine minutes before the end, the Mariners broke through. Aptos earned a corner kick that was initially headed away by the Carlmont defense. But Haziel Parras latched onto the second ball at the top of the penalty, hitting a hard, low shot off the bounce that tucked inside the far right post and just out of the reach of the Carlmont goalkeeper for what was the game winner.

“We gave everything we had. Didn’t go our way,” said Carlmont head coach Ryan Freeman. “Four weeks ago, we were in seventh place (in the Bay Division standings).

“I’m just so proud of my guys.”