WATSONVILLE — For the second straight season, the Watsonville High girls’ soccer program had a player sign a letter of intent to a four-year university, as Gabriella Felix penned her commitment to NCAA Division II Holy Names University on Wednesday afternoon.

“This is once in a lifetime, that’s for sure,” Felix said. “All the hard work that I put into soccer over the years is paying off, and I’m able to go to a higher level. My whole family thinks I can do it, and I’m starting to believe that, ‘yeah, I can do it.’ There are really no words for this.”

A year after standout keeper Ina Gonzalez signed with D-II Cal State East Bay, Felix, a powerful goal-scoring striker, continued the resurgence of Watsonville’s program, which last year won its first league championship since 2012.

“Making that happen again this year is great for us, and for Gabby,” said longtime Watsonville head coach Gladys Mondragon. “Hopefully we can continue to keep this going in the years to come.”

Felix said the size and location of the small private school tucked away in the Oakland Hills, along with the Hawks’ coaching staff led by Mike Herman made it an easy decision.

“They didn’t just pick me for my skills, they picked me for my attitude,” Felix said. “There was more to it…It just seemed like the right fit.”

Felix was born into a family that cherished football, baseball, and softball, but broke the mold by choosing the beautiful game at the age of 8. Her father, Sam, wanted her to play softball, and coached her through Tee-Ball. But his daughter’s passion for soccer was undeniable.

“She went soccer. She didn’t know a thing about soccer, and here we are,” Sam said. “She loves the game.”

Felix grew up playing for Mondragon and Gina Castaneda through P.V. United, and said she owes a lot of her development as a player and a person to both.

She also had a tough time putting into words the role her father played over the last decade. From taking on extra shifts at work to afford her gear and trips, to driving her to endless soccer tournaments all over the state on the weekends, the sport brought the two closer.

“My dad never really bought into soccer being a real competitive sport, but within a couple of years he saw how competitive it is, and how much passion I had for it,” Felix explained while wiping away tears. “I thank him a lot. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be here where I’m at…He basically became my best friend because of soccer. It was special.”

Added Sam: “It became our thing. It became our father-daughter thing. On the road at 5 in the morning. Coming home at 9 at night. It was just our thing.”

Felix was an all-league selection in each of her previous three seasons. She was named the Monterey Bay League Pacific division Freshman of the Year in 2014-15, and was honored as the league’s Most Valuable Player last season after scoring 25 goals and leading Watsonville to its historic title.

Holy Names is a fairly new program which competes in the PacWest Conference. The Hawks went winless in 2017, but are expected to make a turnaround with Herman at the helm and all but four players returning, including 11 freshmen.

She’ll join Monte Vista Christian keeper Syerra Montes, who signed her letter of intent last week, at Holy Names. The two have played club soccer together for multiple seasons.

Mondragon said with her mix of height, speed and strength, Felix has heaps of potential that she has not yet tapped into. Her best soccer, the coach said, is still ahead of her.

“She’s an athletic standout,” Mondragon said. “Her strength and her power, she’s always looking for the the shot on goal, and she can finish. Her determination, when she puts her mind to the goals that she has, she reaches them.”

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