KING CITY — King City is the only school in South Monterey County to have its winter sports teams still in the playoff contention.
This past week, however, saw significant losses that might change some Mustang teams’ futures down the road.
Basketball
Coming into their season, the Mustang boys’ varsity team had hopes of contending for the Santa Lucia Division, but with three division losses, that possibility keeps fading.
“We hurt ourselves with the number of turnovers in those games,” said King City Head Coach Henry Ventura.
After the loss against Soledad, the Mustangs needed to bounce back, and they did by scoring the most points this season, beating Marina 82-44. King City’s Alan Garcia scored 28 points, and Anthony Pina had 12.
The Mustangs currently have a 3-3 record in the Division. All they need to do is win three of their next six games, and they will clinch a spot in the playoffs.
The last time King City went to the playoffs was in 2020, when they went to the second round.
The Lady Mustangs have turned their season around after a 2-4 start. They have gone 4-1 since then.
Last Monday, Jan. 24, the Lady Mustangs took on Greenfield for first place in Santa Lucia Division, but the Bruins’ size would be too much. King City’s Gisela Contreras led the Lady Mustangs in scoring with 12 in the 35-55 loss to Greenfield.
King City bounced back against Pajaro Valley on Jan. 26, winning 36-31.
The good news for the Lady Mustangs is that they still have a chance to be co-champs. All they have to do is win their remaining games.
Soccer
The Lady Mustangs soccer team is losing ground fast. After winning three straight games, they have gone backward and lost three consecutive matches.
In order for the Lady Mustangs to have a shot at the postseason, they will have to win four of their next six games. The road will be challenging as they have to play Pajaro Valley and Monterey twice.
The boys’ varsity soccer team is currently first in the Mission Division after their win over Hollister. The Mustangs are looking for their first league soccer championship since 2007, when they were in the MTAL.
Continuing to have a great season is Victor Narez, who is tied for second in the Pacific Coast Athletic League with nine goals.
The Mustangs have five games remaining, and four are on the road. If the Mustangs win all four games and then win or tie their final game against Hollister, they would become champions of the Mission Division.
