Back again! Valley Christian makes it a dozen CCS championships, shutting out Soquel in San Jose

SAN JOSE - It would be a stretch to call the Central Coast SectionDivision I championship the Valley Christian invitational.

But only a gentle one.

The Warriors have made 15 section title games since 1999, including three of the last four. They'd won 11 of them.

And the San Jose school added a 12th on Saturday night at Excite Ballpark, routing Soquel 6-0 to earn its second section title in three years after finishing runner-up to Serra last season.

Seniors Gabe Felix and Alex Kim combined for a shutout, with Felix going five scoreless innings and Kim shutting the door with two clean frames to close it out.

For Valley Christian coach John Diatte, now in his 36th year at Valley Christian, the taste of section glory remains just as sweet as the first time he tasted it in the Division III championship game in 2000.

"It does not get old," Diatte said. "I told the kids that before. It will never get old. And if you keep the right perspective, understanding that this is about them as an adult and a mentor, it doesn’t get old, right? Because it’s always about the kids and what they get to accomplish, and the things that they do.

"If it were about me, it would probably be old hat a little while ago. But for me, to get to see them celebrate and do this, and have the enjoyment of a big win, I think that that’s really cool."

He's not the only one.

"There was never a moment we doubted," Felix said. "Even when we lost all of our amazing players from last year, we still knew that our team chemistry this year was unmatched. We were great teammates and picked each other up, and I knew that we were going to somehow find a way to win it."

Like they did exactly a week ago against Willow Glen, Felix and Kim combined to hold off Soquel's bats while their teammates generated plenty of run support.

Valley Christian (19-9) first broke through in the second when Nathan Choi drove in Nathan Miller, then added on in the third when Christian Nevarez doubled home Colton Hadfield. Miller then scored Nevarez with a single to center.

The Warriors put the game out of reach in the fourth when Jack Graham brought in Alex Moutzouridis with a single to center, then Hadfield scored Graham and Jacob Pauka with a double to right-center.

From there, it was up to the senior pitching duo to slam the door.

Case closed. Trophy case open.

Again.

"It means a lot," Felix said. "We were talking about it all year, to add another one. Coach Diatte means a lot to us. To add another one shows how good of a coach he is. He’s always winning, and he always will win, and he’ll always find a way to win no matter what."

Twenty-six years ago, Diatte's Valley Christian team won the D-III title despite not having a permanent school campus.

The Warriors practiced at a purpose-built field at Los Arboles Elementary School, down the hill from Valley Christian's current location, and barnstormed all over the Bay Area to find home sites, including Santa Clara University, San Jose City College, and the San Jose Police Activities League Stadium.

Nowadays, the Warriors enjoy a stunning hilltop facility with pitch-tracking technology, a built-in clubhouse, and a sparkling home field. But one thing hasn't changed.

They're still winning.

"As I get older, you want the kids to have an opportunity to experience something really cool," Diatte said. "It’s more about them and this group of seniors.

"We tell the kids at the beginning of every year, you look around, if you’re a freshman, you think to yourself, ‘I’ve got three years ahead of me.' But it’s never going to be this team again. This is it for our clubhouse this year. And after this, it’s going to change, so you need to appreciate the moment that you’re in. So I’m really happy for them."

Subscribe to our Bay Area Preps HQ newsletter for all our Bay Area high school sports coverage, including game analysis, scores, and everything you want to know about your Bay Area high school teams.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 11:54 PM.