They’ve been taking part in soccer collectively for 4 years at Birmingham Excessive, Adrian Diaz, the scorer, and Steven Ramos, the defender.
Subsequent season they’ll transfer on to school and play at rival faculties, Diaz for UC Riverside and Ramos at Cal State Northridge. Nearly each follow, they joke about what is going to occur when they’re now not teammates.
“Who’s going to win, who’s going to lose,” Ramos stated.
“We’re already preparing,” Diaz stated.
El Camino Actual’s Rey Lara is unable to cease game-winning objective from Birmingham’s Steven Ramos that made the rating 3-2 in a recreation final season.
(Craig Weston)
Ramos received’t reveal his technique for stopping Diaz, who has 14 objectives this season.
“It’s a secret,” he stated.
Happily, they nonetheless have a number of months to go as teammates, and certainly one of their largest video games is about for six p.m. Wednesday after they play at rival El Camino Actual in a West Valley League match.
The groups final met in final season’s Metropolis Part championship recreation, received 2-0 by Birmingham. A struggle broke out afterward, and the implications have been swift: Each groups have been banned from taking part within the Southern California regional playoffs.
Ramos stated combating “was a dumb decision. It ruined our season.”
Mentioned Diaz: “I was very surprised and we’re all friends and know each other from soccer. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Now it’s time to see what classes have been discovered. Coaches and directors from each faculties have been adamant that combating received’t be tolerated.
“I have talked to our kids and I’m sure they’ve talked to theirs, and I think both teams understand they can’t do this ever again,” Birmingham athletic director Rick Prizant stated.
Mentioned El Camino Actual coach Ian Kogan: “I addressed it at the beginning of the season and reminded them that what we did was not the standard. We respect Birmingham as an opponent. It shouldn’t happen again.”
These are two of the highest groups not solely within the Metropolis Part but in addition in Southern California. Birmingham is 13-1; El Camino Actual is 8-1. Birmingham’s solely loss was to Oxnard, a staff El Camino Actual defeated. El Camino Actual’s solely loss was to Hart, a staff Birmingham defeated. Two of Birmingham’s greatest gamers are El Camino Actual transfers, brothers Carlos and Christian Esnal. Carlos had six objectives in two video games since changing into eligible following the sit-out switch interval.
Each season the faculties battle it out for the league title they usually incessantly find yourself assembly for the Metropolis title.
The matches are intense and followers within the stands additionally get excited. Many alumni get fired up simply remembering their rivalry experiences.
“Going into my fourth year, I feel the rivalry gets better,” Diaz stated.
Ramos has mates at El Camino Actual and discovered they’re actual mates as a result of they didn’t assault him in the course of the struggle.
“We can’t let that happen again,” he stated. “It’s just an intense rivalry on the field. Off it, I don’t have a problem.”
Kogan stated Ramos all the time appears to have his greatest video games in opposition to the Royals.
El Camino Actual has a prime scorer in Jonathan Rabinovitch, who has 13 objectives. “He’s had an amazing season,” Kogan stated.
However Birmingham has the duo of Diaz and Ramos.
“I’m hoping they will let their guard down and let us beat them,” Kogan stated.
