Sports
Youth soccer (continued from page 31)
national tournament that runs July 27-31 in Phoenix, Ariz. The Panthers will be tested right away by No. 2-ranked Alpharetta Ambush 93 Red in the opening round. “We kind of like that because our team gets up for the big games,� Tirosh said. “We figure we have to play them sometime, so why not right away?� Tirosh, who will head off to UC Santa Cruz in the fall, said the national tournament will be like ending a chapter in his life. “The national championship game is kind of like the climax of my childhood,� he said. “After the tournament, our family will be going on vacation (to Hawaii) and then I’ll be going off to college. Hopefully, we can end this chapter with a national title.� Palo Alto, the Northern California champion, qualified for the national tourney by winning the Far West Region title by beating state champs from Hawaii, Nevada and Utah in addition to beating the Southern California champ twice. The second win over the SoCal team came on penalty kicks in the regional championship match. “Our coach (Rob Becerra) has always had two expectations before any game,� said Gunn High senior Sam Hayward, one of only two current high school players on the team. “One, that we give 100 perfect effort and, two, that we win. We have all bought into our coach’s system and it has worked to perfection. “Before the regional final, our assistant coach B.J. Noble, who has helped us tremendously over the years, reminded us before that game that a leader is only as strong as the pack. To understand how our team operates, you could sort of compare us to a tightly knit mob, in that we know that the group’s strength is far more important than any individual
talent.� Hayward said the team had some extra motivation heading into the regional finale. “We were all inspired to win at regionals, not only because we wanted that first-place prize, but because a few of our players had been injured recently and we all wanted them to play another game wearing a Palo Alto jersey.� The tourney title gave the Panthers a 33-2-3 record this season and a winning percentage of 86.8. Palo Alto has 21,187 points while the second-place Alpharetta Ambush 93 Red has 20,054. Those are the only club teams in the nation, in the 18-U division, that have won over 71 percent of their matches. The Panthers have scored 103 goals in 38 matches while allowing 22. The team has won four major tournaments since last August — the Santa Clara Sporting Invitational, NorCal Cup, California North State Cup and the Regional IV championship. Palo Alto also was a finalist at the San Diego Surf College Cup. “Basically the core of the team has been together since middle school and they play very well as a team, said John Raftrey, one of two team managers. “Nine different players scored at regionals; we don’t really have a superstar.� Some of the players will be playing in college this fall: Riley Hanley (Mountain View) at St Mary’s; Mackie Kelly (Mountain View) and Zac Hummel (Palo Alto) at UC Santa Cruz; Mark Raftrey (Palo Alto) at Pomona College; Grahame Fitz (Summit Prep) at University of Redlands; and Miguel Vazquez (Half Moon Bay) at Notre Dame du Namur. Jose Mendoza is already at UNLV and Fernando Salazar at Foothill. Other team members include Trevor Assaf (Crystal Springs grad), Cameron McElfresh (current Gunn), Andrew Wohl (Gunn grad), Yatam Kasznik (Gunn grad), Juan Gamez
(Mission, S.F., grad), Ian Leung (St. Francis grad), Even Coutre (St. Francis grad), A.J. Beloff (Carlmont grad) and Ricky Minno (Palo Alto grad). “To be on this team for nine years, and to have most of our success come at the very end of our team’s run, could not feel any sweeter,� Hayward said. “Our motivation to improve has always been very high and, although we went through a real rough patch a few years back, we never had any doubt that we could one day be the best team in the country.� In addition to the talented coaches the team has had over the years, team managers John Raftrey and
Gal Tirosh also have made a big contribution. “John Raftrey and Gal Tirosh have always been there for the team and are really the two architects behind everything that we have accomplished,� said Hayward. “Nothing would be possible today without these two masterminds working the strings behind the scenes.� The Panthers will spend the next few weeks training at the Cubberley Community Center while preparing for the national championships. “All of us are proud to represent the City of Palo Alto, a city a lot of us have grown up in our whole life,� Hayward said. “We have not always been the most athletic, the strongest,
or the most technically skilled team but our commitment to one another has always been there. We all back one another up and, more importantly, believe in one another. “Looking at most of our players you wouldn’t expect us to ever reach this far,� continued Hayward. “Lots of us were not recruited heavily and no one really stands out on the team as a superstar. But, combine our strengths, competitive attitudes, and desire to be the best, and you have one unstoppable team. To be No. 1 in the nation is a stellar feeling. But, it doesn’t mean much at this point since we still have four games to go to prove to everyone that we deserve it.� N
A great bike ride! SUPPORT LOCAL KIDS NON-PROFITS
TOUR de MENLO 2O11 Saturday, August 20
65, 46 & 35
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING Of the City of Palo Alto Transportation Division
mile routes with a few hills Ride Day Registration
Public Meeting Notice Channing Avenue Striping and Bicycle Facility Options Public Open House
8 to 1O a.m. Menlo-Atherton High School
DATE: TIME: PLACE:
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 6:30-8:30 PM Community Room, Lucie Stern Community Center 1305 Middlefield, Palo Alto 94301
This public meeting will be an opportunity for all interested parties to provide input on the resurfacing options including improving bicycle facilities on Channing Avenue east of Middlefield. Resurfacing could begin as early as this fall after the completion of the storm drainage system improvement project currently in progress. For further information contact: transportation@cityofpaloalto.org or call (650) 329-2520.
555 MiddleďŹ eld Road Atherton, CA, 94027 Sponsored by
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Register online at www.tourdemenlo.com *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ Ă•Â?ÞÊn]ÊÓ䣣ÊU Page 33