Crystal returns to CCS final

The Gryphons junior forward Danté Martin scored goals in the first round and semifinals as he helped lead Crystal boys’ soccer team to the Central Coast Section Division V championship game in 2025, falling in penalty kicks to Milpitas.

“The guys started calling him ‘CCS Dante’ in practice,” said Crystal head coach Roberto Miranda.

Martin was held to just an assist in the Gryphons’ 4-0 win over Yerba Buena in the CCS Division V opener Saturday, but “CCS Danté” returned with a vengeance Wednesday, netting a hat track to lead the top-seeded Gryphons to a 3-1 win over No. 4 Branham and advance to the CCS title game for the second year in a row.

The Gryphons will take either No. 3 El Camino or No. 2 Soledad in the Division V title game Saturday at a time and place to be determined.

Martin was the leading scorer for Crystal (17-2-2) last year, but that mantle was transferred to Lucas Shotts this season, as the senior, who skipped his sophomore and junior years for club soccer, returned for his senior campaign and torched opponents’ nets to the tune of 24 goals this season.

But Martin’s effect on the game was highlighted when he wasn’t on the field. After being arguably the most dangerous player on the pitch in the first half, that saw him score twice and draw a foul that led to a penalty kick, he went out early with a cramp in the second and the Crystal attack was blunted.

He returned to the game for the final couple minutes of regulation and extra time and the Gryphons’ offense perked up right away. He drew a pair of fouls that resulted in a dangerous set pieces — the second of which Martin put away for his third goal of the game.

“Since his freshman year, he’s had that speed and hunger,” Miranda said. “He’s been doing this since his sophomore year.”

Crystal opened the scoring less than 10 minutes into the game. Shotts chased down a loose ball along the right flank and carried it to the top of the penalty before curling a cross to the far left post.

Martin was crashing and he side-footed the perfectly placed pass into the net for a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute.

Crystal was poised to double its lead five minutes later when Martin was taken down on the left edge of the penalty box, drawing a penalty kick — which the Gryphons missed wide right.

For lesser teams, it might have been a big blow. The Gryphons, however, just went back to work.

“It didn’t go our way. Fine. How do we react?” Miranda said. “The way we were pressing, I had a feeling we’d overcome adversity.”

Which they did in the 23rd minute. Earning a throw-in, Crystal’s Ben Fair found Kristian Bisgaard in the box. He shielded his defender, turned and lifted a chip into the middle of the penalty box, where Martin rose up and beat the defender and the goalkeeper with a header to put the Gryphons up 2-0.

Martin went to the sideline with 10 minutes left in the first half and Branham (8-6-8) suddenly came alive. Crystal defender Kai Wu cut off an attack from the Bruins’ Michael Murphy, who was not to be denied in the 36th minute when he won a 50-50 battle with the Crystal goalkeeper to poke the ball into the net to cut Branham’s deficit to 2-1 at halftime.

Martin started the second half, but was removed less than 10 minutes because of a calf cramp. At that point, the game devolved into a slog that saw the bulk of the game played between the penalty boxes without a lot of chances to show for it.

Until Martin returned and put the icing on the cake for the Gryphons.

“This is what we wanted,” Miranda said of a second-straight CCS finals appearance. “We want to show the best version of ourselves.”