BOYS SOCCER: Panthers Advance to Semis

Correction: This article originally mistated Burlingame's recent CCS playoff history.

The Score: Burlingame 2, Los Altos 1.

The Star: Burlingame High won a Central Coast Section playoff game for the second time in seven years in large part because of its superior ball-winning ability in the air. Stopper Connor Johnson and the Panther defense set the tempo in the Division II quarterfinal and didn’t allow No. 9 seed Los Altos (10-7-3) to score until about five minutes remained at Gunn on Saturday morning.

The Turning Point: George Markalakis’ goal in the 11^th minute that gave top-seeded Burlingame a 1-0 lead. A rare 10 a.m. start time contributed to a sluggish start, but the Panthers (16-3-2) got their engine running after the senior midfielder scored. , playing forward before later switching to sweeper, gained possession with a tackle against a Los Altos defender and quickly dribbled in, baited the goalie and slotted a pass to Markalakis for the goal.

The Quote: “I graduated in 2000, and those were the days we were making perennial (CCS) runs. … It’s good to get back to making a deep run in the playoffs.” – Burlingame first-year coach (and graduate) Mike Sharabi, whose team advanced to the semifinals for the second time since 2004.

What’s Next? The Panthers meet No. 4 seed Mitty (11-8-3) in the CCS Division II semifinals on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Gilroy High. The Monarchs advanced with a 1-0 win over Leigh on Saturday.

The Bottom Line: Burlingame extended what has been an elite season with its quarterfinal triumph. The Panthers, No. 4 in , had too many weapons for No. 8 Los Altos. Burlingame, which played in a CCS championship game three times in 1997-2003, can move to within one win of its first section crown in 14 years by beating a physical Mitty team. The Monarchs finished in the middle of the pack in the tough West Catholic Athletic League.

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Burlingame 2, Los Altos 1

At Gunn

Scoring: B: Markalakis (Farley) 11:00, B: Wakasa (Bonomo) 60:00, LA unreported 75:00.

Records: Burlingame 16-3-2. Los Altos 10-7-3.