Youth Soccer News: San Diego Surf SC Boys Play through Injuries to Win Cerritos Memorial Challenge Cup Title
UDPATE as of May 29, 2014 – GotSoccer rankings have been updated and SAN DIEGO SURF SC ACADEMY SELECT ranks No. 2 in the Nation and in first place in Southern California and in the Western USA (Region 4).
Success in high-level youth soccer competitions has become almost second nature for the San Diego Surf SC BU12 Academy team. In the past year the team, coached by Steve Hill, has taken top honors at the 2013 Surf Cup, the 2013 NHB Cup and the 2014 Cal South National Cup.
Their most recent success came in the 2014 Cerritos Memorial Challenge Cup BU12 Nike Flight, where they took on some of the top teams not only in Southern California but the Western United States, including Total Futbol Academy (TFA), FC Golden State, LA Galaxy Academy South, Albion SC and LAFA.
Coach Hill’s boys opened the Memorial Day weekend tournament on Saturday morning, May 24, with a Bracket A match against a TFA Barcelona (III) team that had recently won the 2014 Coast Soccer League California Cup. The two sides battled it out, with Surf SC coming out on top of a 2-1 score. The afternoon match saw Surf SC again on top, this time defeating B.P. Braves 6-2. On Sunday, Surf SC closed out bracket play with a 2-1 win over Barcelona NV USA 02 Academy, the No. 3 ranked team in Nevada.
Moving on to the quarter-final round, Surf SC faced FC Golden State Academy, the No. 3 Got Soccer ranked team in Cal South. It was another tightly contested match with a familiar rival, with Hill’s boys pulling out a 1-0 win. That advanced them to the semi-final round where they faced LA Galaxy Academy South, another top team and always a dangerous opponent. In what would be one of the highest scoring matches of the playoffs, Surf SC earned a 3-2 win and a ticket to the championship match against Los Angeles Futbol Academy (LAFA).
LA Futbol Academy had easily won Bracket G with a 3-0-0 record and 15 goals scored. They had begun by dismantling LA Galaxy South Bay Navy by an astonishing 10-1 score before squeaking by Pateadores Irvine 1-0. A 4-1 victory over San Tan SC 02 Legacy Red, the No. 2 ranked team in Arizona closed out bracket play.
The quarter-final match set LA Futbol Academy up against another TFA side, No. 4 ranked Total Futbol Academy – the winners of Bracket B. In a closely-matched contest, LA Futbol Academy pulled out a 2-1 victory to advance to the semi-final round. In that round LA Futbol Academy faced Las Vegas Sports Academy (LVSA) 02 Boys Red, the No. 1 ranked team in Nevada. In another challenging match, the team from LA pulled out the 2-1 win to move on to the title round.
Although both teams had strong offenses, the championship game became a battle of stellar defenses. In the end, Surf SC held out for a 1-0 victory and the right to hoist the Challenge Cup.
“I am exceptionally proud of the team’s performance and their success in the Cerritos Memorial Challenge Cup, especially considering the number of injuries they are suffering,” said Hill after the game. “I think we only had about seven truly healthy players on our roster at the moment and had a very short bench.”
 |
“The team worked very hard on the field to get out of bracket and each game was highly competitive,” Hill added. “It’s a great tournament and we competed against some of the top teams this weekend.”
“It was outstanding team performance and an important series of games, as we have our eyes on our upcoming challenge in the Far West Regional in Albuquerque, New Mexico, next month where we will be representing Cal South as our boys won National Cup,” said Hill.
Known as a team of highly competitive and dedicated boys with a reputation for working hard, the Surf SC BU12 Academy team spends hours each week practicing and playing soccer. Nearly all of the players participate in extra training as well as playing futsal. What makes this team special is not only their talent and love of the game, but their ‘never say die’ mentality. Regardless of the score or the toughness of the opponent, the players passionately seek the win until the final whistle.
Solidly ranking on GotSoccer.com as the No. 1 team in Cal South, San Diego Surf SC BU12 Academy has always ranked in the top of the Regional and National rankings (the team expects to regain the No. 2 National position once GotSoccer has updated the rankings from the Cerritos Memorial Challenge Cup.)
Roster: Michael (Micah) Ashton, Tannen Carrillo, Bryan Delgado, Daniel Delgado, Andrew Espinoza, John S. Foltyn III, Ethan Franco, Francisco J Gomez, Kai Haseyama, Chris Hegardt, Luis Martinez, Angel Medina, Michael Scavuzzo, Ishmael Uno, Carlos Jose (Jr) Zuniga (GK), (Mateo Zazueta – Out with Surgery)
Congratulations to San Diego Surf SC Boys U12 Academy and Coach Steve Hill. After Far West Regionals in mid-June, many of the players leave with Hill for Portugal and Spain to represent their club as they compete in the Iber Cup and the Donosti Cup.
