SAN JOSE — The text came from freshman midfielder Frank Hinostroza. And his message was clear.
The Hawks were on the precipice of their biggest game of the season, facing Evergreen Valley — the No. 1 seed in the NorCal Region of the California Community College Athletic Association playoffs. And Hinstroza knew that meant their star had to step up. So he made his wishes clear to Saul Tecle, the freshman forward and Las Positas’ best player.
“Before the game,” Tecle said, “he texted me saying I needed to score two (goals). Instead, he did. Although he doesn’t speak English fluently or that I don’t speak Spanish at all, our chemistry is remarkable.”
Indeed, the star on this night was Hinostroza. He was the one who scored two goals for the Hawks in what proved to be the biggest win in the history of the program. Las Positas, the No. 17 seed, pulled off a 2-0 upset over Evergreen Valley, eliminating the top seed and advancing the Hawks to the third round for the first time ever.
Las Positas will face the winner of No. 9 West Valley vs. No. 8 Merced on Nov. 26.
After beating the San Joaquin Delta 5-0 on the road in the first round, the Hawks knew they could compete with anyone. Against the best in the region, they proved it.
“We just raised the bar,” head coach Andrew Cumbo said. “ This group hasn’t left their mark yet, they are still making it, but they added a new benchmark. I think that’s a real special thing for this particular group.”
Knocking off the No. 1 seed reinforces their belief. Now, they take over as arguably the team to beat, and they aren’t settled. The path to the program’s first-ever state championship appearance is laid out.
“On paper, if we can beat the number one seed we probably can beat anyone else,” Cumbo said. “We’re hot right now, that’s for sure.”
The Hawks got off their team bus on Nov. 23 with their backs already against the wall. They were in for their biggest challenge of the season. Their hosts finished the season 15-2-4 and ranked No. 3 in California and No. 5 in the nation.
The Hawks, meanwhile, were severe underdogs in the 24-team tournament after finishing 11-7-4.
But the Hawks wouldn’t let the rankings, nor their prior history, dictate the match. Instead, they were focused on avenging an earlier defeat.
These two had a previous meeting to look back on. It came in the middle of the season, a 4-2 home loss for the Hawks.
This was the one that counted. The stage with the bright lights in full force. Here, the Hawks came for revenge. And with it — history.
“I wanted revenge and so did the guys,” Tecle said. “We played as one and fought for every battle and were able to come out with a win.”
The main difference in the rematch — the Hawks defense. All season long, Las Positas proved capable of scoring with anyone, averaging 2.8 goals in the regular season. Evergreen averaged the sixth-most goals per game in the state, fifth being the Hawks. A barn burner was seemingly on the cards.
But as the adage says, offense wins games, defense wins championships.
“We wanted to be very organized, disciplined and hard-working defensively,” Cumbo said, “and we checked that box off well.”
It marks only the sixth shutout held this season. But keeping a clean sheet wasn’t going to complete the upset. They still had to score.
Usually, that’s where Tecle comes into play, his 27 goals tied at the top of the state ranking. But Hinostroza — who came in as the team’s second-leading scorer with 11 goals — came up clutch. He also scored in the win over San Joaquin Delta.
Pivotal to the Hawk’s early postseason success can be attributed to their difficult schedule — in particular, the strength of their conference. 9 out of the 24 teams in the conference made the playoffs — Evergreen Valley (1), Skyline (2), De Anza (3), Cañada (5), Hartnell (7), West Valley (9), San Francisco (12), Cabrillo (21), and of course, Las Positas (17).
The Hawks finished with a 5-5-3 conference record, but against the teams above, they only managed a 2-5-1 record, tying Hartnell while beating Cabrillo and San Francisco. They were outscored 9-18 in those matches.
Despite those losses, the team never waivered. They felt confident in their capabilities, and they feel those regular season losses have helped build them into the team they are now. One key constant that stayed the same throughout their struggles, and now their heights, is their mindset. One they believe can take them to the top.
“Our mindset stays the same,” Tecle said, “come to every game with 100% focus and to get the job done like any other game. My confidence is high, especially after beating the No. 1 team in NorCal. Anything is possible.”
TOP PHOTO: Frank Hinostroza (No. 10), hugging Saul Tecle, now has three goals in two playoff games for Las Positas. (Photo by Jakob Arnarsson/The Express)
Jakob Arnarsson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Express. Follow him on X, formally Twitter, @JakobA2004
