On a cold damp evening at Jack Lytton Stadium on Monday, almost a year to the date in which the Denair High girls soccer season ended at the hands of Bradshaw Christian, they experienced similar heartbreak at the hands of the Pride.

In double overtime of a 2-2 match between the No. 2 Coyotes and No. 7 Pride in the quarterfinal round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoffs, Denair’s Galilea Padilla came in contact with a Brashsaw Christian defender and fell on the ground. A foul wasn't called, sparking outrage from Denair’s coaching staff and home crowd.

After the no-call, Bradshaw Christian’s Luci Mabie dribbled down the field, and her shot on goal bounced off the right hand of keeper Aileen Chavez. The ball landed near teammate Brea Slater, who scored the game-winning goal in the final minute to send her team to the semifinals and Denair home for the second straight season. The Pride defeated the Coyotes by a 4-0 score in last year’s opening round.

Following the match, the home crowd displayed frustration of what they thought should have been a penalty kick for Padilla. Denair head coach Mark Morphy approached officials after the match for an explanation. Morphy said that one of the referees told him that he couldn't see the collision from his side of the field.

“I thought for sure that it was a foul, and we would get up and have a penalty kick,” he said. “It’s a tough way to end your season.”

Padilla netted the first goal of the evening in the 22nd minute after she kicked the ball past BC keeper Caitlin Brannen, her 11th goal this season. Nine minutes later, Padilla’s shot attempt was blocked by Ella Batiansila. However, it was ruled a handball since Batiansila used her lower body to prevent the goal in the penalty, resulting in a penalty kick for the Coyotes. Jazmin Padilla effortlessly scored for her 54th goal this season to put Denair ahead 2-0 going into the second half.

Just when it seemed everything was going the way the Coyotes intended, things took a turn for the worst. Emily Robertson put Bradshaw Christian on the board with a goal in the 50th minute. The Pride wasted no time to score again as a minute later, Mabie stole the ball and delivered a goal to tie the match. In just two minutes, Denair’s lead evaporated.

Bradshaw Christian nearly took the lead in regulation when Mabie’s shot bounced off the lower right side of the crossbar in the 65th minute.

In the eighth minute of the second overtime, Denair nearly took the lead after Jazmin Padilla’s shot attempt ricocheted off the top of the crossbar, drawing exclamation from the players and the crowd.

The Coyotes advanced to Monday’s quarterfinal following a 15-0 opening round win over No. 15 Vanguard College Prep (Modesto) on Friday, a match in which Jazmin Padilla scored four goals, Aileen Chaves recorded a hat trick, Gracie Brigham scored a pair and six others found the back of the net.

Denair’s season ends with a 14-4-4 overall record.

As the Coyotes shift its focus to next season, experience will be instrumental for the program, who only have three senior players set to graduate in May. Morphy, who concludes his fourth season at the helm, commended the players for their role in turning around the program.

“I’m so stinking proud of these girls. They fought and fought,” Morphy said. “Denair girls soccer has put this little school on the map, and I’m so proud of them.”

Argonaut 1, Hilmar 0

A third straight appearance in the Sac-Joaquin Section championship game will not come to fruition for the Hilmar High girls soccer program, the No. 6 seed in this year’s Division V bracket. The Yellowjackets were blanked, 1-0, on the road by No. 3 Argonaut on Monday in the quarterfinal round of this year’s Division V playoffs.

The lone scorer for the Mustangs was freshman Madelynn Lockwood. On the other end of the pitch, the dynamic Lady ‘Jackets were unable to cash in on 12 shots on goal against keeper Makayla Davis.

The Yellowjackets advanced after a convincing 7-1 home win against No. 11 Ben Holt College Prep Academy on Friday. In that opening match of the bracket, senior Brisa Gonzales collected four goals, extending her team-high total to 45. Meanwhile, Raylynn Mendoza and Alyssa Colston also scored. A seventh goal came on a kick by Gonzales that deflected off the leg of a Bobcat defender.

Hilmar’s season ends at 17-8-2 overall.

Turlock, Pitman bow out in first round

Turlock and Pitman high school’s 2026 playoff runs were brief, as they suffered a loss in their opening matches of their respective brackets on Friday.

At Cristo Rey High, the No. 9 Bulldogs fell to No. 8 St. Francis of Sacramento by a 5-1 score in the Division I bracket. Freshman Julie Perez scored for Turlock in the loss.

Over at Manteca High to open the Division II bracket, the No. 10 Pride fell 1-0 to the No. 7 Buffaloes on a first-half goal from Kailee Jackson.

The Bulldogs dropped to 11-10 on the season following their 6-4 runner-up finish in the Central California Athletic League. The Pride, meanwhile, put a cap of their season at 7-6-2 overall following their 5-4-1 conference campaign.