Archbishop Mitty’s Men’s Soccer is back! With their historic collection of WCAL and CSS championships, the Monarchs continue to add to their growing set of accolades. 

The team concluded the WCAL season with an impressive overall record of 14-2-4, including 10 WCAL wins, to position them at a close second place in league standings. With this record, the team would go on to play in the CCS playoffs. But what exactly led to their profound success?

Well for one, the team this year was filled to the brim with talented and passionate players. Leading the team were Captain Manuel Portillo, keeper Alan Quintero, and forward Jonah Guardino, who all made the All-WCAL First Team last year.

Beyond the mere composition of the roster, the team’s strengths lied in their bonding and team dynamics. Soccer is a team sport, so the bonds the players have with each other and their coaches ultimately allowed for their achievements throughout the season.

With an established culture that had only expanded since the season began, Senior Giuseppe Sigala points to the motto “PONO” as the source of the program’s central philosophy. This acronym stands for Pride, Optimism, Noble, and Ohana. The word Ohana originates from Hawaii, and it refers to the strong familial bond the team models off of. Their team chemistry is developed through collaboration and effort on the pitch, as well as the culture of team bonding they have off the pitch. They participate in team dinners, film review sessions, and even play video games together.

As the Monarchs geared up for CCS playoffs, Captain Giuseppe Sigala reflected on what has made this season, in particular, so special, sharing: “The significance of this season in my career compared to other seasons is that it is my last year representing the Archbishop Mitty badge on the field. I have won CCS before, but not at the highest level and we have an opportunity to do so this year because of how well the team is doing.” Despite Mitty’s historic success, he stated that the team has fallen short of their ultimate goals in recent seasons. “We have an opportunity to win a league, which has not been done for quite some time in the Men’s program. Winning a banner and leaving my mark on the school is something I desire to do.” While he also aimed for individual recognition alongside the team’s success, such as All-League WCAL 1st Team honors, he repeated that “[leading] this team to win WCAL and CCS” is his central priority.

Soccer is not just another hobby for Giuseppe Sigala. For the senior captain, his time with the men’s soccer team has truly been an experience he will cherish forever. He states, “Being a part of this team means the world to me. It is my outlet from the busy life that I have and I am able to enjoy the sport I’m passionate about in a different way than club.” Furthermore, he reveals that leading Mitty’s soccer team has always been a longstanding aspiration of his, adding, “Representing Archbishop Mitty is something I had wanted to do since I was in middle school, and doing it for three seasons as a captain is a dream I never knew I could achieve. I developed a love for my teammates and coaches, not just on the field, but off the field as well. In the future, I know I will always have a home here because of the open arms this program gave me since I was a freshman. I am able to carry the lessons I’ve learned from here to the next stage of my life which goes to show how much this team really means to me.”

While it may have been his last year with the team, the Monarchs found themselves in an ideal position to end this year with a meaningful “Last Dance”. With a talented group of individuals and the team’s chemistry at its peak, The Monarchs entered the CCS Playoffs ready to play this song to its very last beat. After an initial quarter-final victory over Carlmont, which they breezed through 4-1, the team narrowly defeated Mountain View in a 2-1 overtime thriller to move on to the CCS finals. With these victories, the momentum was on their side, and they made their hunger to win clear. In a competitive finals matchup over the weekend against Saint Francis, the Monarchs prevailed once more, defeating the Lancers 2-0 in a convincing finish to win the CCS Division 1 Finals! With this championship victory, the team concluded the CCS playoffs with a 17-2-4 and league record of 10-1-3, conquering past shortcomings and leaving their mark on Mitty forever. But it didn’t end here for the Monarchs. After CCS, the team hosted McClatchy on Tuesday for the quarterfinals of the NorCal Division 1 Playoffs. In an intense game, Giuseppe Sigala responded with an initial goal to help the Monarchs—led by Manuel Portillo’s two goals—defeat McClatchy 3-2 and advance to the semifinals.

While they accomplished their goal of claiming a CCS title, the job’s not finished yet for this competitive group. Watch out for the Monarchs in the NorCal playoffs as they look to lift another banner!