BOYS SOCCER: HART'S CASO A FINISHER, NOT A QUITTER.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - Mike Caso Mike Caso is an American football (soccer) player born in Newhall, California on July 13, 1984. Currently a developmental player for the Los Angeles Galaxy, he joined the Galaxy in July, 2007 after playing at the University of San Diego, scoring 22 goals in four years. needed time for soccer to grow on him. His initial reaction to the sport was to quit after a season. He wanted to be a baseball player. But his friends kept playing soccer and eventually convinced him to give it another try. They're glad they did. Caso stuck with the sport and likes it so much he abandoned baseball a few years ago to play soccer year-round. The junior forward is now a top player for the Hart High boys' soccer team, where he is surrounded sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. by his childhood buddies See buddy list. . For the second year in a row, Caso is leading the Indians INDIANS. The aborigines of this country are so called. 2. In general, Indians have no political rights in the United States; they cannot vote at the general elections for officers, nor hold office. in scoring - his two goals Tuesday gave him 16 this season - and has them in contention for a third consecutive Foothill League title. To get the title, Hart is counting on a big day from Caso on Friday. That's when the Indians host first-place Canyon. The Cowboys cowboys, in American history. 1 Tory marauders, adherents to the British cause in the American Revolution, who fought in the contested area of Westchester co., N.Y. beat Hart 1-0 during the first round of league, but Caso was sick and was not at full strength. Now, he is back in form and awaiting the rematch REMATCH Cardiology Clinical trials–Randomized Evaluation of Mechanical Assistance Therapy as an alternative in Congestive Heart failure–related to use of a portable, electric left ventricular-assist system–LVAS–eg, HeartMate® . ``That's going to determine the league,'' Caso said. ``We have to play them tough. We obviously want to defend our title. We're excited, especially being at home. We play our best at home.'' The Indians' wide home field is ideal for the speedy Caso, who will face one of the area's toughest defenses in Canyon. ``He's very fast,'' Hart coach Robert Ciccone said of the 5-foot-10, 170- pound player. ``He's a smart player and a very good finisher.'' Caso scored 10 goals as a sophomore. The graduation Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. of last season's other primary sources of offense meant Caso would have to step up. The flu slowed him for a few weeks in midseason, but he is heating up when Hart needs him most. Scoring the only two goals in Tuesday's victory over Valencia gave him 10 goals in league. ``My teammates give me a lot of opportunities,'' said Caso, 16. ``I'm a forward - I've always been a forward - so that's just sort of part of the position, you're supposed to be the one that scores. Most of the goals I get come from great balls from the midfield mid·field n. Sports 1. The section of a playing field midway between goals. 2. Players whose usual positions are in the midfield. mid . ``Our team works really well together. We've all been together so long, we know how the others play.'' Like Caso's introduction to the sport, the Indians were not an instant success. They played inconsistently at the beginning of the season and feared this would be a rebuilding year after losing several key players and their head coach. Once they adjusted to the new roles many were being asked to play, and learned to play Ciccone's more physical and aggressive style, they became more competitive. ``Since we're all friends and we all know each other real well from our other teams, the coach could focus on teaching us instead of how to get along,'' Caso said. ``We all work together real well. We've come a long way.'' |
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