Sometimes fate runs smack into your face.

That's how Bella Vista defender Tex Gossett felt Saturday night in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II boys soccer championship game at Cosumnes Oaks High School.

The surprised-as-anyone senior headed in a goal with under a minute to play in regulation to tie Granite Bay 1-1, then made the Broncos' first kick in the eventual 4-1 penalty-kick upset of the Grizzlies.

It was a shocking stunner coming one year after Granite Bay belted the Broncos 4-0 in the final and in a game in which the Grizzlies (20-4-3) otherwise appeared in cruise control after Andrew Stabbert's goal from an assist by Tanner Thompson in the 32nd minute.

"I got lucky – I was in the right spot – thanks to a great throw-in by Tyler Miguel," Gossett said. "I didn't think I was going to get it because it either flicked off one of their defenders or one of our players. I really couldn't tell. I just hit it with my head. I didn't even see it go into the goal because I got tackled."

Gossett, Justin Childs, Galen Herron and Devin Farnan made penalty kicks for Bella Vista (18-3-1) while Granite Bay hit the post on one and shot over the cross bar on another following two scoreless 10-minute overtime sessions.

Bella Vista coach Zack Contreras said he still thought his team had a chance even as the minutes ticked down in regulation.

"This team has been resilient all year long, so I had a gut feeling they were going to do something dramatic," Contreras said.

The Broncos lost three of their top players midway in the season when an elite club team forced them to choose between club and high school, but ended the season with seven straight wins.

In other matches at Cosumnes Oaks:

Division I

Davis 7, Jesuit 5 (PKs) – Goalie Derek Pleasants blocked Dylan Wong's shot attempt into the left corner as the Blue Devils beat the Marauders 5-3 in penalty kicks (the teams played to a 2-2 draw in regulation and overtime).

It was the first section title for Davis (18-2-4) since 2007, and ended a two-year title run by Jesuit (23-2-4), which entered the match ranked No. 6 nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Division III

Natomas 1, Placer 0 – Rookie coach Geovanni Villalobos had trouble holding back the tears.

His Nighthawks had come so far and learned so much this season in repeating as D-III champions.

"These boys, all the credit goes to them because there were a lot of doubters, and the odds were stacked against them," Villalobos said after Adrian Revelez' first-half goal proved the difference against the Hillmen (20-2-4). "We sneaked into the playoffs, but I knew we'd be dangerous."

Natomas (10-6-2) finished third to Yuba City and Inderkum in the Tri-County Conference and entered the postseason with a 6-6-2 record.

Division V

Capital Christian 6, West Campus 5 (PKs) – Cougars coach Ab Alvarez knew winning a section title wasn't going to be easy, not after heartbreaking down-to-the-wire losses in the last two finals.

It didn't help the unbeaten Cougars were playing their Golden Empire League rival and that goalkeeper Roman Hernandez was like a wall.

But Alvarez has one of the best goalkeepers in Northern California in senior Johnny Murray, a fiery, focused four-year leader. Ironically, Murray helped Capital Christian win (19-0-3) with his foot rather than his hands.

He made one of the Cougars' six PKs and didn't have to make a winning save – a West Campus (16-5-1) player saw his shot fly over the crossbar on the Warriors' last try.

Division VI

Encina 1, Vacaville Christian 0 – Ramses Galvez' goal in the 27th minute led the Bulldogs (14-4-1) past the Sierra Delta League rival Falcons (14-4-2) and to a section three-peat.

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