Standing below 4 palm timber within the quad space of Calabasas Excessive, Los Alamitos soccer gamers have their eyes skilled on coach Ray Fenton’s face for greater than 5 uninterrupted minutes.
Seeking to see if anybody loses focus when a mom walks by and begins yelling at her daughter, the reply is extremely no. The gamers preserve listening and preserve their eyes directed on Fenton.
It’s robust sufficient to make youngsters hear for 30 seconds to adults lately, however to see a whole soccer group not letting anybody or something disturb their focus whereas their coach is talking gives a touch why Los Alamitos is 7-0 and the shock highschool soccer group in Southern California this season.
“Everyone has their eye on coach,” offensive lineman Braiden McKenna mentioned. “It’s all the little things that keep you disciplined. Wearing your mouthpiece, keeping your eyes on him.”
It’s not true that Los Alamitos doesn’t have any stars. They may not have been talked about a lot in preseason hype lists, however gamers have carried out at a excessive degree to date.
Tight finish Beckham Hofland, 6 foot 5 and 230 kilos, is a load to cowl and in addition serves as a kicker. Working backs Kamden Tillis and Lenny Ibarra are versatile and dependable. Quarterback Colin Creason, who sat out final season whereas transferring from Lengthy Seashore Poly, retains enhancing. The offensive line, led by the veteran McKenna, who performs heart, is superb. Ibarra leads the protection with 66 tackles.
Coach Ray Fenton and his 7-0 Los Alamitos soccer group.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Occasions)
“It’s so much easier to want to win with someone you care about and they care about you,” McKenna mentioned of the group chemistry.
Los Alamitos has had extra gifted groups in recent times aided by switch college students. This one is usually residence grown, and Fenton couldn’t be happier.
“They’re friends,” Fenton mentioned. “They’ve grown up together. You play harder with guys you’re friends with. You don’t want to let them down. They’re Los Al kids. They take pride in the community.”
They gained in Hawaii 34-31 on tying and game-winning subject objectives by Ibarra, who practiced kicking the ball between two palm timber at a park. They knocked off Gardena Serra 42-21. They beat a very good Granite Hills group 49-42. Seven straight wins came to visit seven weeks, so now they’re on a two-week break to arrange for the daunting activity of dealing with three good Alpha League opponents — Edison at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 16, at San Clemente on Oct. 24 and a finale towards Mission Viejo on Oct. 30 at Artesia.
They’re critical contenders for a Southern Part Division 1 playoff berth though some individuals nonetheless can’t work out how they preserve successful.
The reply is easy: they’re hungry. By no means underestimate a group the place one teammate after one other helps one another irrespective of the challenges, irrespective of the obstacles, irrespective of the skepticism of others.
“This is throwback,” Fenton mentioned. “It’s old school. Play for your local school, play for your community, play for your friends. The kids you played Pop Warner with are the kids you’re playing high school football with. It’s the way it was supposed to be.”
