ALL-COUNTY TEAMS AND ATHLETES OF THE YEAR : Plasencia Is the Linchpin for Santa Ana
Gus Plasencia has experienced both ends of the goal-scoring scenario on the soccer field.
He has stood in the goalie box and tried, sometimes in vain, to keep the ball out of the net. He has also bobbed and weaved through defenders, attempting, and usually succeeding, in putting a shot into the goal.
On the whole, he prefers the latter.
Plasencia, a senior at Santa Ana High School, has made the transition from goalie to forward during the past two years. It was an effective move this past season--he led the Saints to the Southern Section 4-A championship.
Plasencia, The Times’ player of year, scored 26 goals during the season and Santa Ana won its first soccer title.
“I like being the guy who scores,” Plasencia said. “It’s more fun.”
As a freshman, though, the job of preventing goals fell to Plasencia.
The Saints’ returning goalie became academically ineligible before the season began, leaving a tremendous hole to fill. Because he occasionally had played in goal for his junior high school team, Plasencia was asked to give it a try.
“I didn’t really mind, because it was going to be the only chance I got to play that year,” Plasencia said. “We had all of our forwards back, so there was no way I was going to get to play up front.”
Although he had played only sparingly as a goalie for his junior high team, Plasencia wasn’t without ability. His father and brother had been goalies and were eager to help teach him technique.
Plasencia played well enough to be named second team All-Century League as a freshman. Still, he longed to move to forward where he could score.
“I didn’t mind playing goalie that much, but I didn’t want to be one all through high school,” Plasencia said. “The big difference was goalies have to react. Forwards get to create. I wanted to create.”
Plasencia split time at goalie and forward as a sophomore and scored seven goals. Last season, he played goalie in only two games and scored 13 goals.
“When I took over as coach last season, the first thing I told Gus was that he was going to play in the field,” Santa Ana Coach Sam Buenrostro said. “I had seen him play and knew he was a great forward.
Plasencia proved it this season, especially in the playoffs. He left no doubt as to his importance to the Santa Ana team.
In the five games the Saints were without him, they went 0-4-1. When he returned from a groin injury, they went 12-2-1.
During the 4-A playoffs, the Saints scored 12 goals and Plasencia scored eight of them. No other 4-A team scored more than six goals during the playoffs.
With the Saints trailing Beverly Hills, 1-0, in the championship game, Plasencia slipped past two defenders and scored. He added two more goals in a 5-1 victory that gave the Saints the title.
“Gus is a big-game player,” Buenrostro said. “He’s not a ball hog, but he certainly likes the limelight. He sometimes lets the other guys do the work (on defense), but he’s there to score goals. That’s his job.”
ALL-COUNTY BOYS’ SOCCER
FIRST TEAM
Player School Yr. Position Jerry Vargas Kennedy Sr. Goalkeeper Troy Duncan Esperanza Sr. Defender Peter Lak Ocean View Sr. Defender George Larsen Mission Viejo Sr. Defender Justin Zayas Orange Sr. Defender Armando Orizaba Katella Sr. Midfielder Juan Strutton Laguna Hills Sr. Midfielder Martin Wall Brea-Olinda Sr. Midfielder Ola Karoliussen Corona del Mar Sr. Forward Gus Plasencia Santa Ana Sr. Forward Mike Tsarnas Anaheim Sr. Forward
Player Comment Jerry Vargas Garden Grove League MVP Troy Duncan Defensive MVP of Empire League Peter Lak Defensive MVP of Sunset League George Larsen Top defender in South Coast League Justin Zayas 12 goals, Century League MVP Armando Orizaba 20 goals, Empire League MVP Juan Strutton 20 goals, Pacific Coast League co-MVP Martin Wall 13 goals, nine in Orange League play Ola Karoliussen 13 goals, Sea View League MVP Gus Plasencia 26 goals, eight in playoffs Mike Tsarnas School-record 26 goals
Second team: Scott Carter (Santa Margarita, midfielder, Jr.); Erick Fakuda (Foothill, forward, Sr.); Jason Fichtelberg (Sunny Hills, midfielder, Sr.); Jackie Hoppus (Los Alamitos, goalkeeper, Sr.); Trevor Ickes (Mater Dei, forward, Jr.); Keith Martin (Marina, midfielder, Sr.); Dan Melia (Valencia, defender, Sr.); Doug Roberson (Mission Viejo, forward, Sr.); Sergio Suarez (Estancia, forward, Sr.), Tim Wilson (Tustin, midfielder, Soph.); Shawn Wyns (Mater Dei, defender, Sr.).
