Gonzalez didn't feel alone.
Boys' basketball coach Agustin Heredia and his wife, Kimberly, escorted Gonzalez, during the pre-game ceremony. Gonzalez was around the people he's called family the past two seasons, teammates and coaches.
They took care of Gonzalez, making him feel at home. Gonzalez paid them back in a big way Thursday.
Gonzalez drove in Alex Trancoso for the game's lone run as Estancia claimed its first league title since the early 1990s after beating Calvary Chapel, 1-0.
Gonzalez was one of the first players to race toward the mound to celebrate after starter Marc DeFrenza and reliever Ryan Boselo combined to shut out Calvary Chapel for the second time in three days. Gonzalez and 17 teenagers piled on top of each other.
The pileup happened more than once after Estancia (17-10, 9-3 in league) learned it won the league outright with defending champion Costa Mesa losing at Laguna Beach, 6-0. The crosstown rivals entered Thursday tied for first in league.
At the bottom of the stacked bodies was Sorensen and assistant coach Brandon Thompson. In Sorensen's third season at the helm, he turned Estancia into a champion.
Gonzalez gave Sorensen his reward. Gonzalez, with the help of Roy Smith, doused Sorensen with the Gatorade bucket.
"I'm happy that it happened to him because he's a really good kid," Sorensen said of Gonzalez coming through with the big hit in the bottom of the first inning with two outs. "That wasn't one of his hardest hits of the season, but it was one of the biggest.
"He's been working really hard. He struggled with his stick a little bit early on in the season. He turned it around. He made a lot of adjustments."
Gonzalez can thank Thompson for staying after practice to work on his swing. Thompson never says no to anyone wanting to improve.
