BOYS' SOCCER: A SWEEPING CHANGE ROYAL'S AVINA EMBRACES NEW ROLE.Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - Johnny Avina grew up thinking that scoring goals was the most fun he could have on a soccer field. That was until he discovered the thrill thrill (thril) a vibration felt by the examiner on palpation. diastolic thrill one felt over the precordium during ventricular diastole in advanced aortic insufficiency. of keeping the ball out of the net. After several years playing an offensive role, Avina changed course two seasons ago and moved to sweeper. To say the switch is paying off is an understatement. Avina is the defensive foundation for a Royal of Simi Valley team that is unbeaten in 15straight games and has posted 11shutouts this season. ``This is more fun,'' Avina said of playing defense. Avina earned first-team All-Southern Section Div. II honors last season and has continued to gain accolades while helping Royal climb in the rankings after the Highlanders jumped to Div. I this season. Avina was selected MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. of last month's Upland Upland, city (1990 pop. 63,374), San Bernardino co., S Calif., in a citrus-fruit region at the foot of the San Gabriel Mts.; inc. 1906. Citrus fruits and grapes are packed and processed in the city. Paint, orchard heaters, auto parts, and feed products are also made. tournament, in which Royal surrendered just two goals. The focus now is on the Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. race, where Royal (15-2-3, 4-0-3) is percentage points behind first-place Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. (7-5-3, 5-1-1). ``He's been our MVP,'' Highlanders coach Kevin Corely said of Avina. ``He does so much for us.'' In addition to anchoring the Highlanders' defense, Avina has contributed fivegoals and four assists. When the team is in need of a goal, Avina is often moved up front in Royal's attack and frequently gets the job done. One such instance came during last week's draw against Thousand Oaks, in which he scored the tying goal in the 76th minute. ``My whole life, until the end of my sophomore year, I was a midfielder
In association football, a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders (highlighted in blue on the diagram). ,'' said Avina, who followed his soccer-loving family into the sport when he was 4 years old. ``But I love sweeper. I love the pressure. I love the one vs. one. I used to play so much offense, I can read them pretty well and it makes it easier for me. ``Scoring is fun, but I don't miss being up there. I got over it. I only like going up there on set plays and throw-ins.'' Avina's teammates are happy to have him in the backfield. ``It makes me feel real confident and like we're unbeatable with that kind of defense,'' said teammate Rafael Alvarez
Avina credits the defenders' familiarity with one another as being key in forming a solid unit. Much of the defense is playing its third season together. ``We just work really well together,'' Avina said. ``We've been together long enough that we just need to look at each other, and we know what we're going to do.'' The desire for a college scholarship and a division championship fuel Avina's quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the continued improvement. There is additional motivation stemming from a goal he and his fellow defenders set at the beginning of the year: breaking the school record of 11shutouts in league play. To do so, the Highlanders will have to shut out their seven remaining opponents. ``We're pushing ourselves to beat the record,'' Avina said. ``But it's hard, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how likely it is. ``We just want the team to win. As a team, we're playing really good, but we know we can be better.'' heather.gripp@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 ATHLETE OF THE WEEK BOYS Mike Stanton William Michael (Mike) Stanton (born June 2, 1967 in Houston, Texas) is a left-handed specialist relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. From 1989 through 2006, Stanton has posted a 67-60 record with a 3. , Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame , Sr. Basketball Stanton scored a combined 83 points in three games last week, including 31points in a 74-59 victory over Loyola of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. on Jan. 15. Stanton is also a standout receiver for the Knights, finishing with 29 receptions for 745yards and 11 touchdowns this past season. GIRLS Janet Mendez, Highland, Sr. Soccer Mendez scored a combined nine goals in four games last week, increasing her team-leading total to 16, helping Highland of Palmdale extend its Golden League unbeaten streak to 28 games. Mendez is also a member of Mexico's under-20 national team. UP & COMER Nicole Nesbit, Harvard-Westlake, Fr. Girls' basketball Nesbit is averaging 12.1 points and 3.2steals this season for Harvard- Westlake of Studio City, helping the Wolverines take sole possession of first place in the Mission League. Nesbit's steal with three seconds remaining Saturday sealed a 47-44 victory over Chaminade of West Hills. TRIVIAL MATTERS The La Canada boys' basketball team has been one of the biggest surprises in the area this season, starting off 18-0 despite having graduated two of its top three scorers from last year. The winning streak Noun 1. winning streak - a streak of wins streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" is the longest active mark in the area and could reach 22games Saturday. The longest winning streak in La Canada school history? In the 1991-92 season, the Spartans won 22 straight games en route to winning the Div. III-A title. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, 6 boxes Photo: (1) Royal High's Johnny Avina switched from midfielder to sweeper two seasons ago. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer (2) Mike Stanton (3) Janet Mendez Box: (1) ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (see text) (2) UP & COMER (see text) (3) TRIVIAL MATTERS (see text) (4) THEY SAID IT (5) OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES (6) DAY PLANNER |
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