Crystal Gryphons grab Central Coast Section boys’ soccer title

Their second leading scorer, Danté Martin, was playing with a balky hamstring, one he was massaging all game long before coming off for good with under 10 minutes to play.

And then there was the perceived slight of having to make the 90-minute haul to Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas to take on No. 2 Soledad, a 30-minute ride south on Highway 101.

The final disrespect for the Gryphons was being introduced as the “visiting” team and having to wear their road kits despite being the top seed.

But ultimately, the Gryphons did what championship teams do: they fought through adversity. A goal less than five minutes into the second proved to be the game winner as Crystal topped Soledad 1-0 to capture the soccer team’s first-ever CCS championship.

“Boys’ soccer is kind of like the last sport (at Crystal) to step through that (CCS championship) door,” said Crystal senior Evan Collins.

The Crystal girls’ soccer team won a CCS crown in 2024, while the volleyball, girls’ basketball and cross country teams have also tasted CCS championship success.

It was Collins’ calm finish that put Crystal (18-2-2) on the path to the title, as the Gryphons’ early pressure to open the second half — mimicking their first-half start — paid off.

In a cluster along the right sideline, Martin switched a ball was toward the left side of the field, where Collins managed to sneak inside his defender, turn and had a path to goal.

He looked up to see a second defender coming from the right to cut off the attack, but Collins used a quick little cutback to lose the defender and open up the goal mouth.

And he calmly hit the far left corner in the 44th minute to put the Gryphons up 1-0.

“I thought they were trying to find me (with a cross),” Collins said. “I cut across, dropped the defender, went far post.

“And that’s game.”

There was a long way to go, however, but the Crystal back line, led by Jimmy Naylor, efficiently cut off any real dangerous attacks from Soledad (16-4-3), as the Aztecs struggled staying connected in the midfield.

Soledad get a couple of good, individual runs late, but they never really posed any serious threat.

“It’s a group effort (in the back),” Naylor, a junior, said. “We’ve been playing together two, three years.”

When goalkeeper Max Slavet reached high above the fray to grab a Soledad free kick from near midfield, the center referee blew his whistle to finalize the Gryphons’ title.

It was fitting that Collins would be the one to score the game winner. He, along with Ben Fair, also a senior, were tasked to fill in for the missing Shotts.

Fair didn’t have any qualms about stepping into an attacking midfield role, as he was buzzing early, pressing an attack in the opening 10 minutes that had the Aztecs on their heels.

Soledad weathered that early pressure and by the end of half were on the front foot. The Aztecs had two golden chances midway through the first half turned aside of Slavet — first he parried away a long-range shot and then used a kick save to thwart a second shot off the rebound — preserving the scoreless game at the break.

“We went into the game knowing we’re not just (all about) Lucas Shotts,” Naylor said. “Everyone had to work extra hard.”

While Fair was a catalyst for the offense in the first half, Crystal head coach Roberto Miranda said Collins had a bit of a tougher time adjusting to what was asked of him and he became indecisive.

Miranda said he talked with Collins one-on-one at halftime and told him to just play his game.

“At halftime, we had a conversation with Evan. He was waiting (for things to happen). We needed him to be aggressive. Crash the box,” Miranda said. “I told him, ‘You’re going to score today.’

The win was also the crowning achievement for Miranda, who took over the program eight years ago and did not win a game that first year. But the program and culture built and the Gryphons find themselves as CCS champions.

“Just eight years ago, we didn’t win a game. This goes to the alumni who battled through those 8-0 losses,” Miranda said. “It’s like a storybook (ending).

“This is my best moment as a coach.”

And all that being said, there were no guarantees the Gryphons would return to the finals a year after losing to Milpitas in penalty kicks.

“Going into this season, no one thought we’d get this far,” Naylor said, adding the Gryphons graduated 11 seniors from last year’s finals squad.

“Everyone on this team is so passionate. I love this group.”