Jaguars again a Quadruple Threat
Can the 2010 SCISL soccer and volleyball seasons offer anything to match last year’s thrill-packed showdowns in which a team that didn’t win a single regular season game won a soccer championship, and the girls volleyball finalists extended their opening set to 29-27?
Probably. It has always seemed to work out that way, though a couple of teams will begin their seasons installed as prohibitive favorites. It all gets under way this Tuesday, August 31. (See schedule at right)
It’s appropriate at this time to recall that the 2009 soccer and volleyball seasons, at least up until the championship tournament, could be called “The Season of the Jaguar.” The Cooperative Jaguars did not lose a single game in either sport during the first half of the season (though one JV team had a tie). Jaguar teams finished first in the regular season in all four varsity sports.
Indeed, almost the only blots on the Jaguar escutcheon were the two upsets in the championship tournament finals by inspired opponents referenced in the opening of this article.
Girls Soccer: Can they actually get better?
And Cooperative figures to be formidable again this season in all four varsity competitions, particularly in girls soccer where the Jaguar Class of 2012 has virtually established a dynasty. They were good as freshmen in 2008 when the Jaguars were undefeated (but twice tied), and better as sophomores in 2009 when they were unbeaten and untied.
Indeed, they were unscarred-upon through the regular season, though Christian Learning made them look somewhat mortal when they scored twice on Cooperative in a playoff game, but still lost.
There’s no reason to think the Jaguars won’t be even better this coming year.
They did lose one outstanding player to graduation, Cecelia Aponte, but they welcome back Top Ten scorers Maria Paz Rivero and Sofia Sotelo, both juniors, and last year’s leading scorer, Tania Landivar, who is only a sophomore.
Other returning veterans from the junior class include Fernanda Vaca Diez, Carla Limpias, Ana Paula Peredo, Audrey Saucedo, and Rose Leny Kefir. They are augmented by senior standout Aldana Road, and sophomore Paola Querejazu, and, well, several more. The Jaguar girls will again be coached by Rolando Cabrera.
Christian Learning probably poses the greatest threat to the Lady Jaguars unbeaten streak. The Eagles came closest last year, in a 5-2 loss in the early rounds of the playoff tournament. Their defense will be strengthened this season by the return of goalie Tabitha Molloy, who was in the US last year. She established herself as the strongest punter in the League two years ago.
Coach Keith Wicked reports that the entire defense will be composed of well-seasoned seniors with plenty of experience, and speedster Abby Phillips should be an even more potent offensive weapon this season. Minina Apodaca has been raised to the status of player-coach. Many of the players attended two soccer training camps during the recent vacation and are reportedly excited about their prospects in the new season.
On the downside the Eagles lost three fine players through graduation – Kaylynn Lampen, Ruth Nyquist and Cristina Chun.
International has been a strong team the last several years but has lacked the scoring punch needed to contend for the championship. They have a strong core of returning veterans in Beatriz Nallar and Maria Victoria Gutierrez, both of whom were Top Ten scorers last year, plus Natalia Davida.
However, the Griffins bid farewell at graduation to Ariana Nostas, Ana Karina Marin, and Mariana Chavez, all of whom made important contributions to last year’s team. Eduardo “Presi” de la Riva will be handling coaching duties for both the girl Griffins boy Griffins.
The Cambridge girls have not won a game in several years, and didn’t score at all last year. However, they have shown a knack for tenacious defense (they were the last team to hold Cooperative scoreless, a 0-0 tie in 2008).
Moreover and have a lot of experienced players returning this year. These include Alejandra Abastoflor, SeHee Cho, Stephany Quiroga, Maria Fornaguera, Manuela Yañez, Amaya Yañez, Ana Saavedra, Monica Rocaboda, Nadia Rocco, and Vitania Pulis. Something could jell there.
The Lady Knights big loss through graduation was goalie Raquel Lopez. Victor Coronado, the Knights longtime basketball coach, takes over the coaching reins for both boys and girls soccer this year.
Boys Soccer: Jaguars try again for perfection
The Cooperative boys soccer team was almost as dominant as the Cooperative girls team throughout the regular season and the early rounds of the playoffs. Indeed the Jaguar boys’ only loss was a 3-2 decision to in the championship game to a Cambridge team that had decided at the last moment to become a Team of Destiny. Prior to the playoffs the Knights had not won a game, managing only a single tie.
Cooperative looks to be very strong again this year. Among the returnees are Jose Manuel Vasquez, the League’s leading scorer last year, plus Jean Bretel and Federico Sauto, both of whom ranked in the Top Ten in scoring. Esteban Sauto, Federico’s little brother, now a 10th grader, returns for his third year as the Jaguar goalie. Juan Alfredo Abuawad, a tall and tenacious defender, is also back.
The Jaguars lost through graduation two other Top Ten scorers – Wilson Salvatierra and Alfonso Roca , as well as Bryan Moore and Diego Morales. (Morales moved with his family to Florida.) However, the Jaguar line-up will be bolstered by the arrival of several outstanding players from last year’s championship-winning JV team. The Jaguars will be coached by Dario Rojas.
Cambridge, in contrast, faces the huge task of replacing its big star of the last several years, Junior Sanchez. When Sanchez was missing, as was the case at the beginning of last season when he was playing for the Santa Cruz team in a national tournament, Cambridge was thumped badly.
After he returned they gradually pulled themselves together and ultimately won the League champions for the third straight year. Sanchez sometimes seemed almost to do it all by himself. In the playoffs he was stationed at forward until he got Cambridge the lead, then switched to defense, whereupon he seemed to morph into an impenetrable barrier across the middle of the field.
Cambridge also lost Gonzalo Prudencio, a dynamic player who was a standout on offense and defense. He was well known around the League as “Harry Potter,” because of his resemblance to the movie character. His family moved to Malaysia.
But Cambridge has some able players coming back. Alvaro Lopez, now a senior, was a Top Ten scorer last year. Jose Luis Rivera, now a ninth grader, was a standout at goalie in the 2009 playoffs, and kicked the winning goal on a punt in the championship.
Other returnees who are expected to start this year include Matias Martinez, Fabricio Subirana, Kevin Pulis, Gabriel Alonso, Marion Castillo, Herless Diaz, Diego Bejar, and Anthony Salvatierra.
International played well all last season, and many observers thought that if anyone was going to beat Cooperative in the championships, it would be the Griffins. They lost the chance to do that when Cambridge beat them 1-0 in a game where the Griffins definitely had their chances.
The Griffins lost some outstanding players to graduation, including Jan Ivo Sochtig, Nicolas and Jose Luis Bedoya, Mario Rohrman, and Johann Voss. But they retain the nucleus of a team that could challenge for the championship again, including Jorge Harriague, the fastest man in the League, Alejandro Rios, Andres Estenssoro, and goalie Mauricio Nostas.
Christian Learning was every bit as strong a team as International during the regular season, with each team winning one of the two games they played, and the Eagles actually posted a slightly better regular season record than the Griffins, though International did better in the playoffs. It’s an open question as to which team will move up this year.
The Eagles, who will again be coached by Douglas Montaño, will be without three outstanding players who have graduated – Danny Canaviri, Paul Estes and Tim Zimmerman. They face what looks to be a rebuilding year in which they will rely o0n a number of talented ninth graders to grow up in a hurry.
Girls Volleyball: Up for Grabs?
Girls Volleyball was arguably the most evenly balanced division during the 2009 soccer and volleyball season. No team went undefeated, and no team went winless. Any team seemed capable of winning in any given week.
Cooperative finished first in the regular season with a 5-1 record, but lost to International in the championship game, which could hardly be called an upset since International had beaten Cooperative once during the regular season, and then again during the early rounds of the playoffs. The two teams put up a terrific fight in the opening set of the championship, tying the score many times, but then International took charge of the second set, which the Griffins won easily.
Griffin coach Eli Vilar’s teams always show up ready to play, and this year will be no exception. Three outstanding players from last year’s team are back -- Beatriz Nallar, Maria Victoria Gutierrez, and Maria Paula Melgar. Coach Vilar feels she found replacements for the principal graduated players – Ariana Nostas and Maria Paula Acosta.
Cooperative will have a new coach – Aleksandar Mahdjik – but of the same players who made the 2009 squad so formidable, including the same core of juniors that sparked Cooperative’s championship soccer and basketball teams, are back – Carla Limpias, Ana Paula Peredo, Sofia Sotelo, Audrey Saucedo, Maria Velasco, Luciana Adriazola, and Maria Paz Rivero.
Senior Aldana Roda is also outstanding, and the Jaguars have several talented ninth graders moving up from last year’s successful JV team. Ninth grader Giovanna Varalta, a star soccer player who has been hampered by a foot injury, has switched to volleyball.
The Jaguars did lose an outstanding player and team leader in Cecelia Aponte, but should be able to absorb that loss.
Christian Learning’s volleyball team, like its soccer team, will benefit from the return of Tabitha Malloy from a one-year absence in the States: She established her “cred” as a big hitter with her outstanding play two years ago. She’ll often be joined at the net by Natalia Equez. The Eagle girls new coach is Angela Belovicz, mother of Whitney Belovicz, a multisport star of a few years ago that many fans will remember.
Cambridge last year only won one game, but always seemed to make things close. They lost Raquel Lopez to graduation, but have a host of experienced players returning including Ana Saavedra, Loreani Noguera, Denisse Castillo, Maria Fornaguera, Diane Mendez, Chemi Tanaka, and Valeria LaTorre. In addition they reportedly have a couple of new players that could surprise. Cambridge volleyball this year will be coached by Alberto Giraudy, assisted by Richard Davalos.
Boys Volleyball: Jaguars Could Roll Again
The Jaguar boys volleyball team went through the League last year like a hot knife through butter. They were not only undefeated, but they went through the regular season losing only a single set. (Volleyball matches are two out of three sets.)
Coach Jesus Flores will have to find a replacement for talented setter Wilson Salvatierra who graduated, but the team’s big guns – Juan Alfredo Abuawad and Mateus de Carvalho are back, and will be reinforced by a large contingent of returning veterans, plus players moving up from last year’s championship JV team. Flores’ most difficult task may be paring his 22-player preseason roster down to the 12 players who can dress for a game.
Still, Christian Learning could easily give the Jaguars a run for their money. They have three big hitters – Jesse Hallock, Andre Larsen, and newly returned Caleb Ropp, who made an outstanding contribution to the Eagles championship basketball team. The Eagles will however, feel the absence of Danny Canaviri, Tim Zimmerman, and Paul Estes. Felix Vargas will be taking over the coaching duties.
International’s boys team, which normally contends for the championship, had an off-year last year, finishing in a tie for last place with Cambridge. Both had 1-5 records, defeating only each other. International did not have a big hitter last year as they have in the past, and it showed. They have also lost a number of good players to graduation, including Jan Ivo Sochtig, David Huang, Marco Parada, Joaquin Castañeda, David Huang, and Renato Guzman.
Still, the Griffins could improve. They have a core of returning veterans to build around, including Juan Sebastian Narvaez, Andres McLean, Federico Matus, Miguel Villavicencia, and Francisco Gonzales. Villavicencia is an experienced setter. The question is whether there will be somebody there this year for him to set to.
For the Cambridge boys winning one game last season was a step up for them. They had gone winless the previous year, and have never competed for the championship. However, the Knights appear on paper to be in as good a situation to improve this year as International. Their returning starters include Alvaro Lopez, Jose Luis Rivera, Gabriel Alonso, and Andres Hurtado.
