El Camino Real Duo Wants to Turn Pro
Basketball isn’t the only sport where high school players are jumping straight to the professional ranks.
Soccer players Jason Lara and Gianni Facio of El Camino Real plan to forgo their senior seasons next year to play professional soccer in South America.
“It bothers me that I would have to miss my senior year in high school, but I’d have to do it,” Facio said. “[Soccer is] going to be my career. It would be hard to leave, but I would.”
The juniors plan to participate in an open tryout in June with the Boca Juniors club team in Argentina. If selected, they would immediately move to Argentina to train full time with the team.
“Playing in Argentina would help my soccer career,” Lara said. “Playing there is a lot better than playing high school soccer. They are more experienced and play better soccer.”
If Facio and Lara aren’t signed after the tryout, both said they would play for El Camino Real next season. They would join a group of talented players expected to return for the Conquistadores, ranked No. 1 in the region by The Times.
“I would wish them success in being successful with whatever they want to do, but they have to realize that soccer is something that may not be a lifetime career,” said El Camino Real Coach David Hussey. “They will need an education to fall back on.”
*
After five starters were declared academically ineligible, Birmingham Coach E.B. Madha called up junior varsity players, forcing the junior varsity team to forfeit its last two games because it no longer had enough players.
“I work with the team over lunch and I tutor them,” said Madha, whose team can qualify for City Section playoffs with a victory over Chatsworth today. “But those guys that were ineligible said they were doing OK and didn’t need any help. I asked them if their grades were OK and they told me they were doing fine.”
*
Mike Caso has single-handedly put Hart in contention for the Foothill League title. Caso scored 11 of the Indians’ 17 goals in league play and assisted on four others.
Goalkeeper Kyle Reynish paced the Indians defensively, allowing a league-best four goals.
“Mike [Caso] is our only offense we have,” Coach Robert Ciccone said. “When he’s not scoring, our team doesn’t win.”
Hart can clinch the Foothill title with a victory over Burroughs and a Saugus victory over Canyon today. If Saugus ties Canyon and Hart wins, Canyon and Hart would share the title.
*
Rio Mesa forward Jimmy Heathcote is three goals from tying the school season record of 30 set in 1997 by Jaime Ambriz.
*
Notre Dame forward Shaun Anthony almost scored a goal with his hands against Crespi on Friday.
Anthony was on the ground after a scuffle for possession when he pushed the ball into the goal.
Anthony began celebrating a 1-0 lead, but referee Jeff Blumkin disallowed the goal.
“He tried to scoop it in,” Notre Dame Coach Colm McFeely said. “In his own little way, he was trying to give us a hand.
“Shaun is one of the premier actors at school. Maybe he thought he could have acted that out unbeknownst to the referee, but the ref was right on top of him.”
The game at Crespi attracted a large crowd, with some fans forced to stand along the fence that runs parallel to the field.
“It was unreal,” said Crespi goalkeeper Peter Bomar. “Standing on the field and looking in the stands, it was amazing. It felt like the playoffs.”
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
The Top 10
Rankings of teams in the region
*--*
RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 El Camino Real (West Vly) 21-3 2 3 Reseda (Valley Mission) 20-5-2 3 6 St. Francis (Mission) 17-5 4 2 Crespi (Mission) 16-5 5 8 Notre Dame (Mission) 12-8-1 6 4 Quartz Hill (Golden) 21-1-2 7 5 Royal (Marmonte) 21-3-4 8 9 Ventura (Channel) 13-6-4 9 7 Rio Mesa (Pacific View) 12-8-2 10 10 Newbury Park (Marmonte) 15-4-2
*--*
Records through Tuesday