Inside Hilmar girls soccer’s most successful season and why it has a chance to repeat it

When Guy Bettencourt returned to Hilmar in the 2021-22 school year, the team went 1-15-1.

A section championship was far from reach.

Fast forward two seasons and this winter, he led the team to its best season in over 15 years.

“As long as I like it and I love teaching soccer, I’ll continue to coach,” he said.

During the 2023-24 season, the Yellowjackets finished 24-6-2 overall, earned a Trans Valley League co-championship, a Sac-Joaquin Section title and a CIF Northern California Regional Championships finals appearance.

Bettencourt is in his second coaching stint at Hilmar. His first stint ended in 2007 when he was promoted to plant manager at CBC Steel Buildings and his primary working location changed to Lathrop.

But that stint did not end without championships as well.

He recalls leading the boys program to a Division V blue banner in fall 2006 and coaching the girls team to begin the spring 2007 season. Football coach Frank Marques took over the team when Bettencourt stepped away and that team went on to win the first of two straight D-V championships.

Even with all of that success Bettencourt, who is retired as a plant manager, has high praise for this year’s girls team that won the most games of any Hilmar girls soccer team since those back-to-back championship seasons and advanced farther in the postseason than any other girls soccer team in school history.

“This has probably been the best team that I’ve coached in my life,” he said.

Earning their stripes

Bettencourt knew he had something special at two key points during the season.

Ripon High has been arguably the Stanislaus District’s best program at home with 23 straight Trans Valley League home wins dating back to the 2017-18 season. From 2018-2023, the Indians finished unbeaten at home three times with its only blemish being a 1-1 tie against Kimball during 2018-19. Ripon was 29-0-1.

To add extra importance to the game, Ripon beat Hilmar 3-1 weeks earlier on the Yellowjackets home turf. Hilmar went into Ripon Jan. 30 and won, 1-0 on a goal from Alexis Aguiar assisted by Brisa Gonzales.

“I try to tell them to believe in themselves and that they are good,” Bettencourt said. “Those girls believed, ‘You know what, we’re good.’ Then they started playing more physical and more aggressive. That was the turning point. These girls’ confidence, it changed them.”

The team won its final two league games, securing a share of the TVL title and earned a No. 4 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs. The Yellowjackets beat Ben Holt College Prep in a first-round 6-0 shutout, setting up a matchup with Sonora in the Division V section semifinals. Going into the match, the Wildcats were a perfect 9-0 at home.

The Yellowjackets battled wind, rain, an artificial turf playing surface they weren’t used to and a Sonora team that likes to score fast. Within 10 minutes Hilmar fell behind, 2-0.

Hilmar scored once right before halftime and found the back of the net again early in the second half to tie it at 2-2. Each team scored once more to enter overtime in a 3-3 tie. Hilmar dominated the second overtime period, scoring twice and holding Sonora scoreless to advance in the section playoffs with a 5-3 comeback win.

“I think that game built character,” Bettencourt said. “They know even if we’re behind we never give up, we just keep on going. I was so proud. That’s one of those signature games that I’ll never forget.”

Not just icing on the cake

The Yellowjackets won their fourth blue banner in program history Feb. 17, beating No. 6 Argonaut 2-0 on goals from Aguilar and Gonzales. The win also secured the first NorCal berth in program history — the Northern California Girls Regional Championships were first introduced in 2018 — as the top seed in Division V, securing home games for the entire tournament.

“What the community did, I’ve never seen so many people at a soccer game,” Bettencourt said. “It brought the community together. … I always give a speech and before the first (NorCal) game, I go ‘You know what ladies, you guys had a great season. I’m really proud of what you accomplished. This is more icing on the cake.”

For the players, a trip to the NorCal final wasn’t just “icing on the cake.” They weren’t happy to be there, they were there to win it all. Junior Teygan Horstmeier made sure her coach knew it.

“She goes no, we want to win it all,” Bettencourt said. “And that made me happy. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

That locker room exchange was a moment that, to Bettencourt, summed up the whole season. A team that was questioning if it could beat a league rival on its home field early in the season, was now chasing school history. As the year went on the girls continued to get closer and as their confidence in each other grew, the more success they had.

“As a coach, that gets me emotional,” Bettencourt said.

Hilmar beat Carruthers 3-1 in the opening round and beat University Prep in penalty kicks in the second round two days later on Feb 29 to advance to the NorCal final on Saturday, March 2 against Winters.

Both teams scored once in regulation and couldn’t score in overtime. Just two days after the thrill of winning a NorCal match in overtime, the Yellowjackets fell just one win short of a regional title, losing in penalty kicks.

“I’m still getting over that, it’s gonna take a few weeks,” Bettencourt said. “We were right there. It’s a hard way to lose, in penalty kicks. But what these girls were able to accomplish this year was beyond my wildest dreams.”

A lot returns next year

Aside from seniors Kiara Garcia, Emily Peterson, Janet Gutierrez, Zoe Figueroa, Litssy Barragan and Violet Pinheiro, everyone is expected to return for another run at section and NorCal titles.

All of their offensive leaders were underclassmen. Leading goal scorer Brisa Gonzales (31 goals), Alyssa Colston (13) and Alexis Aguiar (13) are all sophomores and Raylynn Mendonza is just a freshman. Sophomore Sidney Logsdon joins Gonzales and Mendonza as the team’s assist leaders with eight.

“They say steel sharpens steel, and with what they experienced, I’ll be surprised if they’re not better next year.”

This season Hilmar allowed an average of 1.3 goals a game and had 11 shutouts. Defenders Horstmeier, Addie Belo, Finley Rosa and Lilly Brewer and goalkeeper Kayden Elston will all likely be back next season.

“In any sport, offense wins games, defenses win championships,” Bettencourt said. “I tried to pick about six defenders early in the season and stick with them because soccer is a lot about feel and working together.”

Arguably the best part about all of the success the Yellowjackets had this season, aside from all of the winning, is the fact that nearly everyone will be back next season.

“You’ve got to have a little luck in every sport, but we’ve got a good shot next year,” Bettencourt said.