SAN JOSE >> Pajaro Valley High’s boys soccer team wasn’t at its best in its biggest game of the season Saturday.

Playing in the Central Coast Section Division I Championship for the first time in school history, the Grizzlies were, admittedly, a deer in headlights for much of the first half against dynasty Bellarmine.

Needed to say, playing reactive instead of proactive didn’t work in the Grizzlies’ favor.

The Bells jumped out to a four-goal in the first 36 minutes, and prevailed 4-1 at Del Mar High to secure their section-best 22nd title.

“We came into the game nervous,” Grizzlies coach Cesar Rojas said. “I’m getting flashbacks from Fresno. The same mistakes we made today are the same mistakes we made at Fresno, when we started the season. We gave a lot of goals away by not connecting passes, or not setting up our goalie properly. It caught us again today, so it’s a learning experience.”

The No. 7 seed Grizzlies (17-2-4), the Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division champions, reached the final behind a pair of upsets. They knocked off No. 2 Prospect 2-1 in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Sequoia 2-1 in the semifinals.

The No. 5 Bells (13-5-5), the runner-up in the West Catholic Athletic League, were equally hot. They pushed their unbeaten streak to 11 matches with their third postseason win. They knocked off No. 4 Greenfield 2-0 in the quarterfinals, and edged No. 1 Saint Ignatius 4-2 in a penalty kick shoot-out after finishing overtime deadlocked at 2-all.

“We peaked at the right time,” said Kasdan Blattman, a standout midfielder for the Bells. “We got the wins at the end. We just really improved. I’m really proud of the improvement we showed throughout the season.”

The Bells advance to the CIF NorCal Regional Tournament, which begins Tuesday. Seeding will be held Sunday afternoon.

Bellarmine entered Saturday’s final ranked No. 3 in the CCS and No. 53 in California, according to MaxPreps.com. Pajaro Valley was No. 13 in the section and No. 131 in the state.

“Their defenders are really big and really strong,” said Isaac Rojas, a standout junior midfielder/defender for the Grizzlies. “They’re always on their feet, they use their hands a lot. And they know how to put a trap. They bait you, so they can get the ball away. They overload really well; their midfielders drop and help them out, and then, boom, they counterattack. They use their wingers a lot. They have a really good team, they move well, and they have great chemistry.”

The Bells dominated possession for the majority of the first half. Grizzlies defender Aaron Hernandez made a save in the sixth minute and goalie Damian Rodriguez made four saves in the opening 40 minutes.

Santa Clara University-bound Keagan Rhodes, one of three Bells committed to play at the four-year level next season, opened scoring in the 15th minute on a blast from 20 yards out.

Nathaniel Villano made it 2-0 five minutes later, when he scored the first of his two goals. He dribbled in from midfield with Hernandez going stride for stride on his left hip, and sent his shot past Rodriguez.

“They just kept coming at us,” Grizzlies star midfielder Ignacio Aguado said. “We tried our best.”

The Grizzlies’ Gael Oviedo was given a yellow card for his foul in the penalty box in the 33rd minute, and Blattman, the WCAL’s co-Midfielder of the Year in ‘22, made the ensuing penalty kick.

Villano gathered a pass from Blattman in the 36th, deked Rodriguez as he came off the end line to challenge for the ball, and walked the ball into an empty net.

Several times, Grizzlies were floored as they were knocked off the ball on short-lived possessions in their attacking third. Their large fan base, as well as their bench, pleaded with officials for foul calls, but calls were rarely made. A blatant foul by the Bells in the 39th minute couldn’t be overlooked.

After Aguado was tackled in malicious fashion -- no yellow was given -- sophomore Kristof Garcia converted his penalty kick against UC San Diego-bound goalie Nic Thiele.

Grizzlies goalie Rodriguez was injured in a collision with Villano two minutes into the second half. Rodriguez remained on the ground for a couple of minutes while attended to by coaches and trainers, and exited the game with a bloody nose.

He returned 10 minutes later to finish off the game.

After the Grizzlies shook off their first-half jitters, they played the Bells, who emptied their bench, even in the second half.

The Grizzlies graduate 11 seniors, but return enough talent that optimism remains high. Coach Rojas wants them back in the top tier of the PCAL, the Gabilan Division, and back in the section playoffs.

It was just the Grizzlies’ second time in a CCS final. They won the D-II title in 2008.

“We’re proud,” he said. “I’m proud of my boys. I feel bad though for my seniors, Aaron Hernandez, Ignacio Aguado, some of my best players, that I wasn’t able to give them a championship. But I’m going to keep working hard to bring a championship to PV High. That’s my promise.”