In running out to an 8-0 start, the Los Gatos High School girls field hockey team has outscored its opponents, 76-1.
No, that’s not a typo. Truth be told, the Wildcats aren’t surprised by their sheer dominance.
“Obviously, 76-1 is very impressive,” senior attacker Kendall Sutherland said. “But it’s almost expected in a way because of the way we practice. So, it’s not like we’re shocked in any way. Coach Henry (Reyes) reminds us the hard work we put in will pay off, so we should almost expect results like this.”
Far from being arrogant, Sutherland is simply being matter of fact. Los Gatos is the preeminent field hockey program in the Central Coast Section, with a record 17 playoff championships. However, the Wildcats are coming off a 2024 season in which it failed to reach at least the CCS playoff semifinals for just the third time since the esteemed Reyes took over the program in 1992.
Known for their deep reservoir of talent and indefatiguable work ethic, the returning players had an extra layer of motivation during an intense off-season of training.
“A lot of us remember how we felt in those last couple of minutes (in the CCS playoff quarterfinal against Willow Glen, last year) and how the season ended for us,” said senior Leaya Cleary, referring to the 23—count ’em, 23—returning seniors on this year’s squad. “That left an impact with us, which is why the off-season was more intense than it usually is.”
Sutherland echoed that sentiment.
“Everyone was kind of devastated by the loss last year, but it serves as motivation,” she said. “We’ll bring it up sometimes in team talks. Our senior class is huge, so everyone wants to end on a good note this time.”
Senior stalwarts and captains, Cleary and Sutherland know the team needs to stay focused and hungry to finish on the mountaintop again. Fortunately, the Wildcats have Reyes at the helm.
“Coach Henry holds us to a high standard,” Sutherland said. “He doesn’t let us get too comfortable or too full of ourselves.”
Sutherland is part of a potent attacking line that includes Jisoo Hong, Zoe Shyba and Kirra Bannon, just to name a few.
“Our first 11 to 15 players on the front line are really interchangeable,” Reyes said. “We’re having some really big success with our front line so far.”
The 2024 Santa Clara Valley Athletic League Junior of the Year, Cleary leads the midfield corps that also features Kaja McCullough, Emma Jackson, Leighton Ozawa, and Ann-Katrin Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Cleary helps facilitate the ball movement and getting it into the stick of players like Sutherland, who knows how to put the ball in the cage.
Both players have seen the difference in their play after a productive off-season.
“Scoring has definitely increased for me since last year,” Sutherland said. “My job is guiding the forward line and commanding the front a bit. My passing and dribbling has obviously improved and I’ve grown in my leadership skills. We get named captain in November and go through an entire off-season as captain, so I got to grow individually. My confidence on the field shooting and overall commanding is showing.”
Cleary has also grown in her leadership and mindset.
“The change is not being focused on my own play, but it’s about helping everyone on the field and directing,” she said. “And in general, taking a more leadership role, on and off the field.”
The Wildcats are fortified on the backline with defenders Rowan Landis and Stella Musser. Emma Barrier returns as the starting goalkeeper, and has stopped all but one shot from entering the cage this season. Sutherland said the team’s chemistry has been a key factor in the team’s torrid start.
“We remember the whole thing won’t work unless we work together,” she said.
After the team’s early exit from the playoffs last season, Reyes did his usual inventory, assessing every aspect of the program.
“We just sat down after last year and said there are a lot of things we could’ve done better and had to sharpen up on that,” he said. “In terms of game dynamics and fundamentals, we had to readjust what we do and how to teach it better. I think we have a good peace of mind of what we have to get done and what the kids are capable of achieving. We continue to work on a resiliency mindset because there is so much more to the game than a win and loss and shoving the ball in the cage until it finally goes in.”
Cleary and Sutherland attended the same middle school and developed a closer bond once they became teammates on the Los Gatos field hockey team. The dynamics of the program demands a player to be all in when they commit to play for Reyes.
“I played competitive soccer for three years and this year I ended up quitting because field hockey is a bigger commitment,” Sutherland said. “One of Henry’s famous quotes is you can’t have two boyfriends.”
Translation: multi-sport athletes are still a treasure, but the rigors of competing for the Wildcats’ field hockey program requires a covenantal commitment.
Cleary and Sutherland somehow find a way to balance academics, athletics and extracurricular activities. Since they were seventh graders, Cleary and Sutherland have done work with a local chapter within the National Charity League, an organization of mothers and daughters that supports non-profits through hands-on volunteering work and fundraising. On and off the field, the two continue to achieve at a maximal level.
