Scots go back-to-back

The Scots waited until the final game of the season — the Central Coast Section Division I championship game — to erase a 1-0, first-half deficit. The Scots scored twice in the second half to beat top-seeded Leigh 2-1 to win its second-straight CCS DI title.

The three times the Scots (19-2-1) trailed this season, they didn’t win. They tied Burlingame and lost to Menlo School in league play, as well as Los Altos in the non-league portion of its schedule.

Mara Fintzi, Carlmont’s single-season scoring leader, saved her most dramatic goal for last. With 10 minutes to play, Fintzi took a short pass from Theresa Cornwell. She ran straight at the Leigh goal, dribbled around three defenders like the ball was tied to her foot and blasted a left-footed shot into the right corner of the net for the game-winning strike.

"Basically in that situation, [the fancy footwork] comes down to training with the ball,” Fintzi, a senior, said. "Muscle reflexes, that’s what our coach says.

"You’re not even looking up (at the goal). I just knew where the goal was.”

It was Carlmont’s 77th goal of the season.

After a slow start to the league season — scoring three goals in four games — the Scots (19-2-1) finished off with not only their sixth-straight PAL title, they scored 53 goals, averaging just over three goals a game. They scored nine in their first two CCS games and went into Saturday’s final at Valley Christian High with their confidence sky high.

Maybe a little too high.

"We came in over-confident, coming off a 4-1 win and a 5-0 win,” said Cornwell, who tied the score at 1 15 minutes into the second half. "We have younger players who take it for granted that we’re Carlmont.”

When Leigh took a 1-0 lead in first-half stoppage time Carlmont coach Jim Kelly said his team was depressed at halftime.

"What is this? This isn’t supposed to happen to Carlmont,” was the way Kelly described the huddle at halftime. "I knew this team (Leigh) would be tough to beat, tough to crack.”

Cornwell, who was the Scots best threat in the first half, finally connected 15 minutes into the second half. Maggie Harrelson sent a perfect left-to-right cross that found an unmarked Cornwell in stride. She carried the ball into the box and rifled a shot right at the goalkeeper. She got a hand on it but couldn’t completely stop it as the ball carried into the net.

"Theresa was awesome. That goal showed we’re still in it,” Fintzi said. "Everyone felt we were still in it but she showed we’re still in it.”

Fintzi’s goal in the game’s final minutes put an exclamation point on a fabulous high-school career. She juked three Leigh defenders in a row — with the crowd coming to life with each pass — before she pulled the trigger, unleashing a roar from the crowd.

"She’s amazing,” Cornwell said. "If I could ever be that good I would be so grateful.”

Not bad from someone with an upset stomach. Maybe that had something to do with an Fintzi’s sub-par first half.

"I was definitely down on myself. I had a weak first half,” Finzti said. "I needed to step up.”

Kelly was torn between wanting to keep Fintzi — his most dangerous striker — on the sideline or on the field, but knew something magical could happen as long as she was on the field.

"I just knew she would pull something out,” Kelly said.

Carlmont’s comeback was aided by air-tight, second-half defense led by senior sweeper Sammy Kirberg. Quite possibly the team’s best player — she won the team’s one-on-tournament during preseason — Kirberg and her mates did not allow the Longhorns a sniff of the Scots’ goal in the second half.

Both Fintzi and Kirberg graduate this year and Kelly knows he had a good thing.

"You don’t replace Mara and you don’t replace Sammy,” Kelly said.

Midfielders Maggie Harrelson and Cristina Dito did an excellent job winning balls in the midfield, using their height and strength to hold off defenders and move the ball forward.

The way Kelly celebrated after the final whistle — jumping off the sideline with arms thrust in the air, the Gatorade bath — it was evident this win was the most satisfying of them all.

"[This win] was a little more dramatic,” Kelly said. "We’re going to savor this one.”<