PALO ALTO – In soccer, a team can look great for a half.
But it must play two, and typically, they both have to be good to come out on top. Palo Alto found that out the hard way against Mountain View on Wednesday at home.
The Vikings, despite not scoring, controlled the run of play in the first 40 minutes, remaining tied 0-0 with the visiting Spartans deep into the second half.
But once Mountain View got on the board, things started to snowball. Aidan Wong broke the ice with a goal in the 60th minute, and the Spartans dominated the final quarter of play to cruise to a 4-0 win.
Mountain View’s Akshay Chugh (9) celebrates with teammates after he scored the third goal of the game against Palo Alto in the second half of a boys soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Mountain View won 4-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
“Palo Alto was really good tonight,” said Mountain View coach Jim McGuirk. “To be honest, for 60 minutes, they were better than us, plain and simple. But our defense did a really nice job holding the score at 0-0, and everything changed once we scored that goal.”
Twelve minutes later, the Spartans (6-0-2) got on the board again when Caddell Heatley was fouled within the 18-yard box and converted the ensuing penalty kick. Then in the 75th minute, Akshay Chugh took advantage of a misplay on the Paly backline to convert a third.
In stoppage time, Cyrus Shafie finished the game off with an aerial strike that evaded the Paly keeper.
“It was a good game for 60 minutes. And then mentally, we just went home,” said first-year Vikings coach Luiz Lodino. “Went home a little bit earlier, right? The bodies stay here. The minds are somewhere else, man. A team like Mountain View is used to winning, used to being on top every single time. And if you give them a chance, they’re going to find a way to win.”
Mountain View’s Aidan Wong (11) follows his shot to the net to score the first goal of the game against Palo Alto in the second half of a boys soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Mountain View won 4-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Palo Alto (6-1-2) entered Wednesday’s match undefeated after a strong start to the season that included nonleague shutout wins over Woodside, Irvington, Santa Teresa, Monta Vista and Westmont. The Vikings had allowed just three goals all season and compiled six clean sheets in eight games.
But this was a different test, and the Vikings didn’t pass it this time. Mountain View, a perennial Bay Area power and the No. 2 team in the Bay Area News Group top 10, was a good measuring stick for Palo Alto.
The verdict? The No. 10 Vikings, who entered the rankings for the first time this week, still have a ways to go.
“We’ve been doing so well. This is because we were capitalizing,” Lodino said. “We didn’t let adversity take us down. Of course, this is the first time we started behind. There’s a lot of lessons.
Mountain View goalkeeper Parker Lunn (1) is fouled by Palo Alto’s Taishi Liu (3) after Lunn tried to keep the ball in the second half of a boys soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Mountain View won 4-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
“We’ve got to score first. That didn’t happen. We didn’t score early. We’ve been scoring early in games. (But) the game is not over yet. Today, we didn’t work on our minds very well. We didn’t bounce back from a setback and let that adversity make us better.”
For Mountain View, it was a good chapter in what McGuirk hopes is the start of yet another great season.
“Everyone wants to beat us, and I think they thought they had us,” McGuirk said. “And as soon as that (first) ball went in, you could see that deflate them a little bit. It changed everything, for sure.”
Mountain View’s Akshay Chugh (9) celebrates the third goal of the game against Palo Alto goalkeeper Jacob Kinsky (00) in the second half of a boys soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Mountain View won 4-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Palo Alto’s Rohan Bhatt (80) controls the ball against Mountain View’s Ayan Kothari (26) in the first half of a boys soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Palo Alto goalkeeper Jacob Kinsky (00) can’t make a save on a penalty kick by Mountain View’s Caddell Heatley (15) in the second half of a boy’s soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Mountain View won 4-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Mountain View’s Cyrus Shafie (7) goes airborne after attempting to score against Palo Alto goalkeeper Jacob Kinsky (00) in the second half of a boys soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Mountain View won 4-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Palo Alto’s Rohan Bhatt (80) slides to steal the ball against Mountain View’s Ayan Kothari (26) in the first half of a boys soccer game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Boys basketball
Acalanes 58, Ygnacio Valley 55
Gavin Dodge’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer propelled the Dons past Ygnacio Valley on the road. Acalanes made 13 3s as a team to top YV. Brady Quinn led all scorers with 18 points for Acalanes, and Dodge added 13.
Milpitas 56, Mountain View 49
Milpitas earned a close win down the stretch thanks to some late-game execution. Isaac Sisay led the Trojans with 16 points, and Jacob Wrencher stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists. Dylan Nguyen went 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to help Milpitas put the victory on ice. Jaden Minor scored over half the Spartans’ points (27) and “attacked the basket relentlessly all night,” said Milpitas coach Champ Wrencher. Milpitas, meanwhile, spread the wealth among its five returning starters. The Trojans have had five different leading scorers so far this season, according to coach Wrencher.
Bellarmine 55, St. Francis 52
Bellarmine earned a close road win over St. Francis to open WCAL play on Tuesday night. JJ Barton led the way for the Bells with 13 points and seven assists, while Ethan Lyles added eight points and the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:30 to go. “The Lancers came ready to play in a great rivalry environment,” said Bellarmine coach Alex Sarrett. “We were able to tighten up our defense and execute set plays down the stretch to come away with a tough win on the road. The energy in the gym was electric and a great start to WCAL league play.”
Boys soccer
Bellarmine 2, Sacred Heart Cathedral 0
Bellarmine managed a shutout of SHC up in San Francisco on Wednesday. Seniors Gregory Gutierrez and Aiden Dempsey scored for the Bells, with senior Thomas Dumont and junior Jason Gore picking up the assists. Junior goalie Drew McClelland earned a shutout win in net. “Very proud of how our boys played today,” said Bells coach Conor Salcido. “It is never easy to get a win up in the city, especially to start WCAL league play, but we came out strong and scored early and dictated the play from there. The coaches really trust this group to adapt to new tactics or adjustments midgame, something we’ve done nearly every game, and they respond well to it.”
Branham 3, Willow Glen 2
Willow Glen endured a close road loss to Branham in its second league game of the season. Captain Lawson Mettee scored on a set piece for the Rams, assisted by Kris Duran. Jason Gonzalez also scored by converting a penalty kick.
Moreau Catholic 4, Mission San Jose 0
Moreau earned a shutout win over MSJ thanks to goalkeeper Landon Nolasco, who secured a clean sheet by blocking a penalty kick. “The kids are starting to build chemistry,” said coach Cruz Mejia. “We had kids on travel teams that incorporated late to the team, so it’s taking us a while to connect. Hopefully, we continue to improve and carry this momentum to Friday.”
Menlo School 5, Woodside Priory 0
Menlo opened its WBAL campaign with a big win on the road at the Priory. Junior Kieran Vazquez scored first for Menlo, assisted by Charlie Allard, who finished with two helpers. Sophomore Rafe Weiden scored once in each half. Seniors Gabriel Gil and Cartel Techel each had a goal and an assist. Junior Dylan O’Malley took home a clean sheet, and Stevie Halprin pitched in an assist for the Knights.
St. Francis 3, Serra 2
St. Francis picked up a win in WCAL play thanks to a hat trick from Michael Scavotto.
Girls basketball
Northgate 49, Benicia 34
Northgate pulled off a road win in Benicia thanks in large part to Sam Myhr’s 17 points and seven rebounds. Jada Mayse added 10 points for the Broncos, and Maddison Sardelich contributed seven points to accompany a Herculean effort of 19 rebounds on the boards.
San Leandro 40, Hayward 28
San Leandro picked up a win over Hayward on Tuesday thanks to some stifling defense and balanced scoring. Ravyn Martin led the way for San Leandro with 18 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Alana Daly chipped in seven points, and Ava Musgrave added six.
