Tuesday, May 1st, at the Park de la Cruz Rec Center — home turf for the Serpents. A group of eight boys, undefeated thus far, stood on the brink of securing the Pioneer League Championship for boys’ high school volleyball.
This night was doubly significant. Not only would it decide who walked away with the title, but the Health Sciences High community also came together to celebrate the graduating athletes on the squad — the Class of 2025.
There were posters and banners hanging on the walls, music blaring from the speakers, and HSHMC showed up in full force, all black and decked out in Serpents merch (still on sale, by the way). It was in this scene of electric anticipation that Senior Night began. Dean of Students Mr. Davenport stepped up and began to call out the seniors, who were met with thunderous applause from the crowd.
Once the celebrations had been had, the action was set to begin. The Cristo Rey Coyotes, too, had a phenomenal season, dominating their league — a run only blemished by a single defeat… to the Serpents. Cristo Rey showed up hungry, eager to avenge that lone loss. The match unfolded exactly as expected: a true nail-biter.
The Serpents took an early lead, handily winning the first set — a triumph only marred by an early injury to co-captain Victor Lona’s left arm. The Coyotes didn’t take that lightly. They struck back with a dominant set of their own. As the game carried on, the intensity only intensified. Momentum shifted in seconds, rallies stretched well beyond the two-minute mark, and every point felt like a battle.
Finally, it all came down to game point. The Serpents were one point away from clinching the championship. The Coyotes, trailing only slightly, refused to back down. That’s when #10, Angel Gaytan, stepped up to the line to serve — the weight of an entire season resting on his shoulders. The gymnasium fell completely silent. An anxiety-filled stillness captured the crowd. In near slow motion, Angel tossed the ball into the air. When he struck the ball, it was clear — his aim was true. The only thing that could have saved the Coyotes would have been a gravity-defying dive… but it never came.
The ball hit the ground. And just like that, it was as if the mute button had been switched off. The entire Park de la Cruz Gymnasium erupted in cheers and applause — loud enough that this reporter is willing to bet we were heard past El Paisano’s Market… maybe even as far as Wilson Middle. And that was that.
What’s Next?
The Serpents are headed to the CIF playoffs, taking on Valley Center on Tuesday, May 6th at 6:00 p.m. (location TBD).
As Coach Prince put it:
“I’m proud of the boys and their league championship, and we will be bringing all of that energy into the CIF playoffs this week.”
