ROJAS REIGNS FOR PERFECT CANOGA PARK HUNTERS SEEK ANOTHER CITY SOCCER CROWN.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer Camilo Rojas' pride in being part of Canoga Park High's boys' soccer team is seen each time he smiles, revealing a mouth full of braces See curly brace. adorned a·dorn tr.v. a·dorned, a·dorn·ing, a·dorns 1. To lend beauty to: "the pale mimosas that adorned the favorite promenade" Ronald Firbank. 2. with bands in the team's color. Rojas is flashing his bright green grin a lot these days. The rest of the Hunters have had plenty of reason to smile, too. In his first season with Canoga Park, Rojas is the leading scorer for a team that has cruised into its second City Section final in three years and is one win from its first undefeated season. The top-seeded Hunters (23-0-0) look to cap a perfect season tonight at 7 against No. 3 Birmingham of Lake Balboa Balboa, town (1990 pop. 2,751), Colón prov., in the former Panama Canal Zone, on the Gulf of Panama. The port for Panama City, Balboa was the administrative headquarters of the Panama Canal Zone. It was also the site of a U.S. navy base (closed 1999). (17-2-2) in the City final at East L.A. College. ``I dream of getting to that championship and playing in that stadium,'' said Rojas, a junior forward. ``I really wanted this. This is big.'' The Hunters have been so dominant that they have outscored four playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. foes 18-0. They have shut out their past 11 opponents. And Rojas is the pivotal player in attack. He scored his 30th goal of the season in Wednesday's 5-0 semifinal romp over Hamilton of West Los Angeles
He celebrated his 17th birthday last week with his second hat trick hat trick n. Sports 1. Three goals scored by one player in one game, as in ice hockey. 2. Three wickets taken in cricket by a bowler in three consecutive balls. 3. of the postseason. ``Camilo has really been turning it on in playoffs,'' Canoga Park coach Jake JAKE Jointly Administered Knowledge Environment Gwin said. ``He's just been doing his job on the field, whatever that may be at the time. He's scoring, he's getting assists, he's drawing defenders to open up other players. ... He's doing everything I ask of him.'' Opponents have taken notice. ``What we have to do is find a way to stop Camilo Rojas and (Rafael Garcia Rafael Garcia may refer to:
Rojas, born in Colombia, comes from a soccer-loving family. His cheering section can be heard at nearly every Canoga Park game. A brief absence from the sport has given Rojas a greater appreciation of this season. He spent his freshman year at Reseda, and after he moved to Canoga Park before his sophomore year, he did not go out for the boys' soccer team. Rojas knew many of the Hunters from the Samba samba Ballroom dance of Brazilian origin, popularized in the U.S. and Europe in the 1940s. Danced to music in ⁴⁄₄ time with a syncopated rhythm, the dance is characterized by simple forward and backward steps and tilting, rocking body movements. club team, so he had no trouble fitting in with them when he joined the team this season. He'd made a strong impression on Gwin before he'd played his first game. ``It isn't a surprise, what he's done,'' Gwin said. ``I expected a lot of him.'' Rojas knew a lot also was expected of Canoga Park. The Hunters won the City title in 2004 and were hungry to return to the final after their elimination in the second round of last year's playoffs. ``Coming into the season, I knew we had a good team,'' Rojas said. ``I didn't think we'd go undefeated, though. What we've done so far, it's huge. Hopefully, we'll keep it going for one more game.'' Heather Gripp, (818) 713-3607 heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Camilo Rojas has scored 30 goals with 19 assists to lead Canoga Park within one victory of its second City Section title in three years. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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