Santa Monica - Poway SoCal Final

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3-8-2008

CIF SoCal Regional Championship Final: Santa Monica 2 - Poway 1

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............on the 9th of March in the year 2008, on the fields of the Warren High School Soccer Stadium in Downey, California, there was a moment of triumph and accomplishment, a moment to remember and cherish, a moment where a valiant brotherhood of Santa Monica High soccer warriors played the Beautiful Game with passion, loyalty, intelligence and respect, a moment where a community of Santa Monica High students, their friends and their families witnessed the achievement of an almost impossible dream, a moment that everyone present will cherish forever......................

.....Santa Monica High Men's Soccer Coach Jimmy Chapman and the Man who scored the Golden Overtime Goal, Juan Magana............................................

........................................................................................the Sweeper, Nic Ferro, with his Mom and Dad......................................................................................................

....................................................Forward, Alessandro Canale, with this Number One Fan, his Dad.........................................................................................................

.............................................................................Midfielder, Charlie Paris, with his twin brother and Mom................................................................................................

...................Artur, the Soccer Warrior from the Old Country......................

.........................................Forward Eddie Delgado, with his Mom and little brother, already playing in AYSO.......................................................................................

....................................Ricardo Martinez, the Man who scored the first goal.................................................................................................................................................

......the Back-Up Goalie, sophomore Michael Freedman, who stood in for the injured warrior Alex Kovacs, and did what he had to do...............

.................................the Santa Monica High Men's Soccer Assistant Coach, Marco Sumale, with his Dad and Mom.........................................................................

....................................................Eddie Delgado with his Dad who is so proud of his talented son................................................................................................

............................................................................................Defender Tyler Horton with his proud and happy Mom.....................................................................................

........................................................................................Midfielder Nico de la Rosa, with two fans................................................................................................................

..................................................Coach Jimmy and the world's Number One Soccer Dad, Pablo de la Rosa.........................................................................................

....Santa Monica High Soccer Director, Frank Gatell, with some rowdy Samohi Fans.........

................in this, the Final Battle in their long quest for the most prized California Championship, the Samohi Soccer Warriors once again traveled along the path of the mighty 5 Freeway to the grounds of the Warren High School Soccer Stadium in Downey, California, this time to face the barbarian horde from Poway near San Diego. The Poway horde brought with them a fearsome reputation, having recently triumphed over the more civilized tribes from Saddleback in Orange County as well as the ferocious Roosevelt tribe from Fresno. The barbarian coach was heard to have shouted to the San Diego citizenry that the undefeated warriors from Santa Monica were about to meet their match and were due for an ignominious defeat.

Under a strong sun and on an overheated playing field, the battle started slowly. The Poway horde fought fiercely, grabbing at the clothing of the Samohi warriors, smashing against them with their hands, hips and shoulders, kicking at their legs, holding their arms, diving onto the turf and carrying on the battle in their own barbarian way, much like the primitive Canadian tribes to the far north who are said to battle with sticks.

The more civilized and valiant Samohi warriors fought hard and strong, finally breaking through with their style and speed for the battle's first goal in the beginning of the 2nd half. But the barbarians soon replied and the battle was again tied.

After a pause for refreshment which even the most fearsome warriors sometimes need, the battle resumed for an additional round. Using their superior skills, strong determination and more subtle intelligence, the Samohi warriors finally managed to break through the barbarian lines and took possession of the barbarian horde's most protected space.

Triumphant and victorious, their honor intact and still undefeated, the stout-hearted soccer warriors from Samohi thus became the Champions of not only the great Los Angeles Basin, but also of the vastness of California. Their citizenry cheered and many awards were given, and the barbarians from Poway were left to slouch back to their caves in the mountains behind San Diego, dragging their bleeding knuckles on the ground along the way..................

........at this moment in the battle, near the end of the additional time, the storied defense of the Poway horde collapsed.............

.....................a wave of Samohi warriors poured through the exhausted ranks of barbarian defenders..............................................

.......................................advancing relentlessly towards the barbarian horde's most protected area...................................................

Artur, the fierce Samohi warrior from the Old Country, forced the barbarian defenders to put the ball out of bounds near their goal

..giving Chris de la Rosa the chance to make one of his monster in-front-of-the-goal throw-ins..

...the heroic Samohi attack warrior, Juan Magana, raced into the barbarian midst, touched his foot

to the ball and penetrated the final barbarian defense..........bringing glory to the Samohi soccer tribe

the winning GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!, a triumphant victory, the attainment of an impossible dream.................

......................................the 8th of March in the year 2008, a moment in time to remember and cherish................................................................................................

From the Front Page of the Los Angeles Times Sports Section Sunday, March 9th in the Year 2008: