2011 Volleyball and Soccer Final Standings

Varsity Boys Soccer
1st - Cooperative
2nd - International
3rd - Christian Learning
4th - Cambridge


Varsity Girls Soccer
1st - Cooperative
2nd - International
3rd - Christian Learning
4th - Cambridge


JV Boys Soccer
1st - International
2nd - Cooperative
3rd - Cambridge
4th - Christian Learning


JV Girls Soccer
1st - Cooperative
2nd - International
3rd - Christian Learning
4th - Cambridge


Varsity Boys Volleyball
1st - Cooperative
2nd - International
3rd - Christian Learning
4th - Cambridge


Varsity Girls Volleyball
1st - International
2nd - Cooperative
3rd - Cambridge
4th - Christian Learning


JV Boys Volleyball
1st - International
2nd - Cooperative
3rd - Cambridge
4th - Christian Learning


JV Girls Volleyball
1st - International
2nd - Cooperative
3rd - Christian Learning
4th - Cambridge

Soccer Finals - Pictures

JV Soccer Championships - By Jonatan Muñoz

Varsity Soccer Championships - By Jonatan Muñoz

Girls Varsity Soccer Championship

Jaguars tamed for a while, but go wild, win 4-0

By Ximena Fagan

            The Cooperative girls varsity soccer team ended the season with a hard-fought 4-0 victory over the International Griffins on their home field.

            The victory kept alive an undefeated streak that goes back to 2007, and an unbroken chain of championships going back to the start of the League in 2005. A big crowd of spectators with lots of spirit from both schools was on hand for the game.

      The first half was scoreless, which represented something of as moral victory for the Griffins since the Jaguars had not been held scoreless for an entire half all season. Moreover, both teams came close to scoring. The Griffins were stopped only by some very aggressive play by Jaguar goalkeeper Karla Aguilera, who on several occasions came way outside the penalty box to meet Griffin players who had broken away, and to take the ball away from them.

            This is not to say the Jaguars didn’t have their chances. At one point Tania Landivar had the ball about three meters from the goal with only Griffin goalie Beatriz Nallar between her and a goal. Landivar tried to chip it up over Nallar, but the ball hit the crossbar and caromed out of bounds behind the goal. And Rivero got loose for a clear shot on goal, but missed right, and finally Fernanda Vaca Diez fired another upward shot from close range that hit the cross bar and went out of bounds.

     This was one of the toughest games either team had played because of the energy and effort both were putting into this effort towing the championship. Both the Jaguars and the Griffins had started to get very keyed up when the first half ended.

            The second half was when the game reached its most intense level.  The Griffins made a terrific attempt to score but the Cooperative goalie, Aguilera, managed to get a hold of the ball.

       The first goal was scored by the Jaguar Vaca Diez. SCCS was putting on all the pressure it could, moving its entire defense across the midfield line. Vaca Diez dribbled the ball in from her position on the left wing and drilled the ball into the far side of the goal.

      After that the Jaguar goals seemed to come non-stop, the second goal was scored by Tania Landivar, who was set up by a great crossing pass by Vaca Diez.

      Nallar stopped the next several shots, but then Giovanna Varalta, charging through like a halfback in American football receiving a handoff, stormed through to make it 3-0.

      Varalta got another chance on a breakaway in the final seconds of the game, and made the score 4-0 for the Jaguars.

 After game ended the Champions threw the big yellow bucket of ice water on top of the Coach, Rolando Cabrera. 


Eagle Girls Triumph 4-1 In Consolation Game
By Larissa M. Dagnoni

     Christian Learning girls varsity soccer team defeated Cambridge Thursday afternoon 4-1 in the consolation game of the League playoffs, winning the medals for third place in the League. The game was played at Cooperative.

The game started with the Eagles attacking and working the ball well, their only aim clearly to get the ball into the Knights goal, and after ten minutes Eagle Abby Phillips scored the first goal of the game, with a great right-footed  kick from inside the penalty box. A big cheer went up from the largely pro-Eagle crowd, celebrating the goal that put the Eagle team in the lead 1-0. .

The sun was extremely hot, but the Knights players did not seem bothered and kept running and battling to score an equalizing goal, and tie the game up, but the Cambridge attack wasn’t strong enough to pass by the Eagle defense. When Knight player Vanesa Flores finally got a shot on goal, she missed.

Eagle players Mariela Salinas and Phillips had a great way of working and passing the ball with each other, their speed and control of the ball was all it took for Salinas to score the second goal for the team.

By then the Cambridge team was looking downcast, and the Eagle team was confident about winning. The first half ended with both teams worn out, and every player running to get a drink of water.

When the second half started the Knights came back with more attitude, but soon it became clear that the heat was slowing down both teams, and there was not a whole lot of action for a while..

But then Nadia Rocco, after playing the entire game mostly just chasing after the ball, took control of the ball and brought it in close to the Eagle goal. Rocco, who has been sidelined by a back injury, passed the ball neatly to teammate Yañez who scored the first goal for the Cambridge team.

But the Cambridge euphoria was short-lived. The goal seemed to energize both teams, and quite quickly Abby Phillips scored her second goal giving Christian Learning back its two-goal lead 3-1.

By now the game was almost over, and the Eagle team was looking happy for the 3 goals they had on the score board. Then suddenly Phillips seemed to swoop in out of nowhere and score the Eagles fourth goal.

During the Award Ceremony the MVP awards were won by Cambridge player Manuela Yañez and Alejandra Abastoflor, and by Eagle players Mariela Salinas and Abby Phillips.

This game was played extremely well by both teams, and provided a good ending point for the season. Congratulations to both, and good luck next year!

Varsity Boys Soccer Championship

Jaguars squeeze past Griffins to win championship

By Lucia Landivar

The Cooperative Jaguar boys soccer team won the Interscholastic League tournament over the International Griffins for the second year in a row Thursday before a good-sized crowd of spectators from both schools on the Jaguar field..

The game almost couldn't have been more thrilling, and was decided by a penalty shot in the final seconds of the game.

 Players from both teams seemed very nervous and anxious for the game to start. Both teams had been long time rivals throughout Interscholastic League history, often fighting for the championship title.  Spectators were excited as well,for the game to start and screaming Jaguar and Griffin chants. When both teams gathered  in circles right before the game, and shouted their school’s name, the battle was on. 

            The first half of the game started out aggressive play by both sides. Both teams had their mindsets focused in the game; people could tell the teams were in it to win it. The soccer ball was constantly in the air, from one side of the field to the other. During the first minutes of the game, Jaguar Juan Carlos Laguna managed to strike the ball goalwards by kicking the ball backwards while in the air, a move called “chinelita” that Laguna had worked hard to master. While artistic, the effort ended with the ball securely in the hands of the Griffin goalkeeper Santiago Maldonado.

       After a few minutes, Griffin Gary Suarez crossed straight through Jaguar defense and shot the ball into Jaguar goal. The Jaguars were devastated and disappointed, while Griffin players and spectators screamed and hugged each other with delight. The Griffins led 1-0. It was the first time this season the Jaguars had been behind.

JuanSe Velasco from the Griffins side kicked a ball with great force straight into the goal, but Jaguar defender Hyun Kim stepped in front of it and the ball bounced straight off his chest. International was seemed to be constantly on the offense, attacking every chance they got, while Cooperative seemed to be scared of attacking, and stayed in a defensive posture for most of the first half.

            Laguna managed to score a goal for Cooperative after the ball bounced off Velasco’s head, and confused International’s goalie. Laguna took that opportunity to strike the ball into International’s goal. The score was 1-1 tied, and tension filled the air. Esteban Suarez from Jaguar defense and Gary Suarez from Griffin offense tangled several times, building the tension further.

             They constantly clashed and fought for the ball like two bulls.  Nicolas “Coco” Cronembold of the Jaguars was just recovering from an ankle injury, and got hit in the same ankle by a Griffin player.  Cooperative’s coach Nicolaas Mostert rushed to aid Cronembold. Luckily, after a few minutes of hopping  on one leg, Coco was able to shake the pain off and continue playing.

      The first half ended with passes back and forth from one end of the field to the other.

     The second half started out with an aggressive approach by Cooperative, and an apparent goal by  Laguna after the ball bounced off the International goalie got the Jaguar crowd pumped up, but the goal was annulled by an offside call. The  Jaguars thought for sure they were taking the lead a fewminutes laters when Milan Marinkovic danced his way through the Griffin defense, and fired a shot at the goal, but it bounced off the post.

            The tables had clearly turned. The Griffins seemed to lose faith in themselves, and it was they who were no constantly on the defense. The Jaguars were feeling much more comfortable, and were now attacking most of the time.

     But the Griffins still had their chances.  Griffins Gary Suarez and Francisco Gonzalez double-teamed  Jaguar defender Manuel Saavedra, and took the ball from him deep in the Jaguar end. However, their shot – it was hard to tell who took it -- missed.

      Cooperative’s Josue Abuawad then brought the ball from the Jaguar side to the Griffins goal, where he clashed into Cooperative’s goalie Santiago Maldonado. Abuawad rolled on top of him, missing his chance to score.

      It looked like the championship game was headed for a penalty shootout, but the tie was finally broken on a penalty shot by Laguna seconds before the whistle blew to end the match.

      Jaguar players and spectators ran into the field screaming and hugging each other, concluding the game with Jaguar victory chants and handshakes between both teams.


Eagles Defy Knights for 3rd Place
By Jesse Mann, SCCLC

            The Eagles came out on top Thursday with one goal against the Knights in a fierce combat for the coveted third place boys varsity soccer medal. The match initially resembled nothing more than a precision passing contest, with most of the action in the first half taking place midfield in a back and forth battle for possession. The Knights managed only a couple attempts on the SCCLC net, none successful, matched by a few weak shots by the Eagles which were easily scooped up by Juan Carlos Paniagua, the Knights’ goalie. Both teams stepped up their game play in the second half, resulting in a heated, heart-pounding match. Cambridge forward Herless Diaz repeatedly charged recklessly up field, skillfully guiding the ball through the Eagle defense and advancing dangerously close to a net guarded zealously by Eagle goalie Wesley Ordoñez. Each of his spirited attacks were either tipped away by a aggressive Eagle defender or stopped by Ordoñez in a sprawling save. The Eagles finally ended the stalemate when forward Andre Larson beat Paniagua to a flying ball launched from midfield and crossed it right in front of the goal line to Eagle José Aldana who tipped the ball into the corner of the Knight's net. But the game was far from over. A couple minutes after the Eagles scored, Tadeo Carmona nearly tied the score with a long shot from midfield that slipped over Ordoñez's outstretched fingers only to bounce off the crossbar. Herless was again denied a fantastic goal a couple minutes later when a well placed shot was barley batted away by Ordoñez's extended foot. Paniagua also had his share of impressive saves near the end of the second half, keeping Cambridge's hopes alive. Ultimately the Knights just ran out of time, finishing the game down by one goal. The Eagles enthusiastically embraced a third place finish as well as the fair play award for good sportsmanship from the league. 

Varsity Soccer Championships - Scoreboard

Girls Consolation Game:
Christian Learning 4, Cambridge 1


Boys Consolation Game:
Christian Learning 1, Cambridge 0


Girls Championship:
Cooperative 4, International 0


Boys Championship:
Cooperative 2, International 1

Varsity Boys Volleyball Finals

Jaguars Upset Undefeated Griffins for 1st Place
By Sung Eun Song, SCIS

The Cooperative school boys varsity volleyball team withstood a tremendous challenge from International team to take the championship two sets to one on Tuesday at the SCIS gym. The Griffins started strong, taking the first set 25-18. Then the Jaguars stormed back to take the second set 25-23. The third set, played in front of a large, enthusiastic, bottle-bonking crowd was very close but the Jaguars finally won it 15-13. For the Griffins, this match was very disappointing as they lost both their perfect season and the championship; it marked the first time the International boys had lost a set all season. For the Jaguars, it was a dramatic and even historical victory.

In the first set, the Griffins took the early lead of 9-2. Then they started a scoring parade following the lead of Juan Sebastian Narvaez and Francisco Gonzales. Sebastian, a senior, had spikes which were virtually unblockable. He helped to break down the Jaguars’ resistance, giving International several points. He capitalized on every opportunity he had, making several impressive plays. Francisco Gonzales was also highly skilled at spotting vulnerable spots on the opponents’ side, and spiking to them with speed and power. Their wonderful team play lifted the Griffins’ team spirit and motivation. Several bad serves and missed passes by Jaguars helped widen the Griffins’ advantage to 19-8. The Jaguars started a slow process of climbing back, but the Griffins already had complete dominance of the court. Finally, with a strong spike from Juan Sebastian Narvaez, the Griffins won the opening set 25-18.

At the beginning of the second set, the Cooperative boys showed newfound initiative, leading the game by 6-1. The standouts for Jaguars were Josue Abuawad and Jorge Melgar. Josue was an outstanding spiker. He jumped right in front of the net and spiked the ball emphatically to the vulnerable spots, which reminded one of boxer Muhammad Ali's phrase "to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee." Jorge was a good setter, who dealt with balls flexibly. He blocked several hard attacks from the Griffins, scoring points for the Jaguars. With a solid defense from Santiago Maldonado, Eric Takayama and Juan Sebastian Velasco, the Griffins caught up with the Jaguars in the middle of the second set, tying the score at 18-18. From this point, the pressure was on for both teams. And this time, it was Jaguar boys who got a strong hold on the mental game, and the skills that they possessed began to work for them. Jaguar Andres Shin was another outstanding player who made many amazing digs and artful sets, greatly aiding Jaguars to actively attack. The match was intense and breathtaking as an astounding number of attempted kills were blocked, sometimes double-blocked. Finally, the second set went to the Jaguars 25-23.

Things got truly spectacular in the third set, with most points decided on long rallies during which there were at least two or three amazing plays. The Jaguars got ahead early 4-1, but the Griffins then slowly sliced into that lead until they finally tied the game at 7-7. They traded points in long rallies in which the ball went back and forth about 15 times with both sides making powerful spikes, delicate placements and intrepid receptions. When the score tied at 8-8, the Cooperative started to edge ahead, first with two big spikes by Milan Marinkovic that moved the count to 10-8. A bad serve and a ball hit long by International helped widen the Jaguar advantage to 14-10. The enthusiastic Griffins fan shouted “Si, se puede”, encouraging the Griffins. The International team almost evened the score at 14-13, but finally the Jaguars won the match 15-13 when Josue Abuawad uncorked one final magnificent spike to wrap it up. Cooperative played its most impressive game of the season in the championship, defeating International, a team that had never lost a match this season, and in doing so, the Jaguars earned the 1^st place volleyball trophy.

Eagles Overwhelm Knights for 3rd Place

By Trevor Reed, SCCLC

The Christian Learning Center Eagles finished off their volleyball season with a convincing win over the Cambridge Knights on Thursday, in a game played at the International gym.

It was the Knights who shot out to a 3-0 lead first, led by the aggressive serves of Gabriel Alonso. However, the Eagles were soon able to get back in the game, tying the score at 4-4. The match was very close as neither team was able to gain an advantage. Halfway through the set, the Knights began to pull away with a 12-9 lead over the Eagles. They were once again led by Gabriel Alonso's serves. Then, Cesar Flores began to close the gap with quick, accurate spikes for the Eagles. The Knights still kept a small lead, and the scores began to rise. Soon, the score was 19-17, but the Eagles suddenly closed the gap and pulled ahead 20-19. They continued their aggressive attack, with Eagle Micah Kerney making several strong spikes into Knight territory. Finally, Eagle Jesse Mann was able to pull the Eagles to a 25-22 set victory after two strong spikes and a quick, painless serve.

In the second set, the Eagles continued their momentum, pulling off to a 5-2 lead. The Knights were plagued with miscommunication, and the Eagles widened their lead. Strong spikes from Jesse Mann and Cesar Flore helped the Eagles to "blast off," and when the smoke finally cleared the Eagles were ahead 20-6. Knight Gabriel Alonso continued to be a dangerous threat, but he could not succeed without the help of his teammates. The Knights attempted a comeback, scoring 8 more points before the Eagles finally finished them off with a score of 25-14. 

Varsity Girls Volleyball Finals

Griffins Fend Off Jaguars to Win 1st Place
By Sung Eun Song, SCIS

The undefeated International girls varsity volleyball team preserved its perfect season, winning the league championship played Tuesday at their home gym. The Griffin girls turned in a finely crafted, flawless performance as it defeated Cooperative girls in straight sets 25-9, 25-23. They polished their effective technique and well-organized teamwork without the stress of worrying about losing.

In the first set, Pamela Suarez from International led the Griffins early dominance, making a quick forward dash to the service line. She hit the ball hard to make it either spin and fly with astonishing speed. She scored four points solely from her service aces, giving the Griffins’ an early lead of 6-1. Maria Victoria Gutierrez also contributed to the Griffins’ lead, expertly tipping the ball to vulnerable spots of Cooperative. For the Jaguars, Carla Limpias and Ana Paola Peredo stood out for their brilliant performances. Carla showed several full-forced smashes with the precision of a surgeon, aggressively threatening the Griffin girls. Ana Paola also played well with her artful sets and tactical attacks. However, this was not enough to catch up with the Griffins. The Griffins gradually widened the score gap till 16-6, finally making the Jaguar girls call for timeout. After the timeout, both teams played even more aggressively. This time, the star player was Beatriz Nallar from International, who was able to flexibly control her attack-style. It seemed like she knows when to fire strong spikes, and when to just lightly hit the ball over the net. With her great help, the Griffin girls widened the gap to 15 points at 24-9. Finally, with an exquisite spike from Maria Victoria Gutierrez, the Griffins won the first set at 25-9.

In the second set, it was Cooperative's turn to jump out to the early lead. Rallied by the accurate attacks and steady defense, the Jaguars took dominance with a 7-0 lead. It seemed as though the Jaguar girls had learned how to deal with the Griffins attacks completely. Jaguar Ana Paola Peredo played excellent defense, blocking several shots at the net. She also powered shots from beyond normal outside hitter range and Luciana Adriazola and Maria Paula Aguirre were able to collect any other loose balls. However, at the point where the score reached 9-2, the Griffins started a slow process of climbing back. They began to show an athletic and disciplined manner, scoring from multiple positions and defending fiercely from sideline to sideline. Throw in Ciara Harriagure and sophomore Diana Paola and stir in seniors Beatriz Nallar and Maria Victoria Gutierrez and the pot was boiling over with a recipe for success. Furthermore, somehow being distracted by the counterattack from the Griffins, the Jaguar girls made several mistakes; they served poorly and let balls fall between players because of miscommunication. International fought back steadily and eventually knotted the score at 15-15, at which point the large group of Griffin fans simply stood up and screamed. Encouraged by this enthusiastic crowd, the Griffin girls came out with some daring plays, sometimes setting the ball from one side of the court to the other. The rest of the game was a continuation of relentless battle between two strong teams. The score tied three more times at 21-21, 22-22 and 23-23. Finally, a service ace from Maria Victoria and a strong spike from Fernanda Gutierrez gave Griffins a match victory and the first place trophy.

Knights Edge Past Eagles for 3rd Place

By Larissa M. Dagnoni, CC

Cambridge girls varsity volleyball team defeated Christian Learning on Tuesday in the playoff consolation game at International, winning in two sets, and taking the third place medals that came with the victory.

The tension between the two teams could not be missed when they started their warm-ups at 2 p.m. The game started with a big cheer coming from the Eagles crowd. Cambridge was missing a similar multitude, but that didn’t stop those who were there from loud screams to pump up the Knights.

The first set was totally owned by the Knights. They started by scoring 4 straights points, and throughout the game they kept attacking. They got great serves by Valeria la Torre, and unbeatable defense from Mariel Palacios, It seemed apparent early that the first set was going to be won by the Lady Knights, and that was what  happened 25-15.

This set showed all the talent that the Cambridge team had -- good communication, great team work, and good vibration coming from the players.

When the second set started the Knights players were confident, but they were taken by surprise when the Eagles went ahead and took the lead by six points, 16-10. It seemed that the Eagles were not letting the third place get away that easily.

 This set was an intense one, with both teams were working harder than ever, with the Knights trying to finish off the match, and the Eagle team trying to win the set to have a second chance at victory in a tie-breaking third set.

It seemed impossible for the Cambridge team to get back into the game, but as impossible as it sounded, and with all the pressure being brought to bear on them, the Knights girls were able to settle down and play as they had in the first set.

The Knights worked their way back, point by point, until they tied the game up at 22-22. Thanks to smart plays of Knight Palacios and great defense from Eagle Rebekah Kienzle the game became a rollercoaster of emotion. It was impossible to predict which team was going to win, as the teams traded points.

When the scoreboard showed 24-24, the entire gym seemed to be cheering for the Eagle team, but it was the Lady Knights that scored the next two points, to win the set, 26-24, and take the match.

Knight players Vanesa Flores, and La Torre took home Cambridge’s MVP awards, and for the Eagles the most valuable player was Natalia Eguez.

It was a good finish to the season for both teams, with both showing great hard work as well as obvious improvement.

Varsity Volleyball Final Scores

Girls Consolation Game (for third place)

Cambridge d. Christian Learning 2-0 (25-15, 26-24)

Boys Consolation Game

Christian Learning d. Cambridge 2-0 (25-22, 25-14)

Girls Championship

International d. Cooperative 2-0 (25-9, 25-23)

Boys Championship

Cooperative d. International 2-1 (18-25, 25-23, 15-13)