SEEING AN UPWARD IN CLINE PALMDALE UNDEFEATED WITH NEW COACH.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer PALMDALE - Palmdale High was a winner in boys' soccer when 1997 graduate Jarrod Cline cline, in biology, any gradual change in a particular characteristic of a population of organisms from one end of the geographical range of the population to the other. was the Falcons' goalkeeper. They were perennial Golden League title contenders and were seeded as high as No. 3 for the postseason. When Cline became Palmdale's head coach this season, he inherited a team that had finished near the bottom of the league standings, well out of playoff contention. Cline's perception of Falcons soccer might not have meshed with reality, but he refused to believe that, and he has presided over their transformation from also-rans to Southern Section powerhouse. Palmdale, undefeated heading into this afternoon's Southern Section Div. I semifinal at Santa Margarita Santa Margarita ("Saint Margaret") may refer to:
``Coming in, I knew we had something special,'' said Cline, who returned to his alma mater ma·ter n. Chiefly British Mother. [Latin m  ter; see m following a stint as an assistant coach at Kansas Wesleyan. ``My goal was us winning Golden League. That was something we could do. But our goal is now CIF (1) (Common Intermediate Format) A standard video format used in videoconferencing. CIF formats are defined by their resolution, and standards both above and below the original resolution have been established. The original CIF is also known as Full CIF (FCIF). and winning that. Did I think we'd be undefeated? No. This is beyond what I expected.'' The Falcons (24-0-5), seeking a berth in Saturday's title game, aren't just winning. They are doing so convincingly. Palmdale hasn't allowed a goal through the first three rounds of playoffs, outscoring opponents 11-0. It's all created quite the buzz around campus. ``It's a big deal,'' said Cline, whose classroom walls are lined with newspaper clippings about the team. ``The kids are excited. In my class, the kids always talk about it. Right when they walk in, they want to know how we did. And everyone is always looking at all the articles on the wall.'' Cline says credit for the success goes to his players. It's a talented group, with 13 seniors, making familiarity and cohesiveness a strength. Cline stressed the importance of playing complete games, of not letting up regardless of the score, and that notion that has spurred stronger play in the postseason. The multifaceted mul·ti·fac·et·ed adj. Having many facets or aspects. See Synonyms at versatile. Adj. 1. multifaceted - having many aspects; "a many-sided subject"; "a multifaceted undertaking"; "multifarious interests"; "the multifarious attack is led by Golden League scoring champion Jose Garay, who has 34 goals. Christian Hernandez Corporal Christian Hernandez is a United States Marine from 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines who was part of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and while at Camp Whitehorse, in Iraq, was accused of having a role in the death of Nagem Hatab. has scored 16 goals, with a team-high four in the playoffs. Brandon Alfaro and Carlos Aguilar are consistent contributors, and freshman Christian Diaz Christian Diaz, (born May 12, 1976 in Florencio Varela) is an Argentine football defender, currently playing for Arsenal de Sarandí in Argentina. Diaz started his career with Independiente in 1995. has chipped in with two postseason goals. Defense provides a foundation. Goalkeeper Victor Chinchilla chinchilla (chĭnchĭl`ə), small burrowing rodent of South America. It lives in colonies at high altitudes (up to 15,000 ft/4,270 m) in the Andes of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. posted his 16th shutout in Thursday's quarterfinal victory over league rival Littlerock, tying the program record set by Cline. The Falcons need to be in peak form against Santa Margarita (25-4). The Serra League champions, from soccer-rich South Orange County, are coming off a 3-1 victory over Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, city (1990 pop. 181,519), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast, across from Santa Catalina Island, in an oil-producing area; inc. 1909. It manufactures aerospace vehicles, aircraft parts, optical instruments, and heat transfer equipment. , and its possession game is more sophisticated than what Palmdale usually faces. ``I went and watched them play earlier this season. Just by chance,'' Cline said. ``They look really good. They're going to be really tough to beat. We've talked about what we need to do, and if we do that, we'll be OK. They're a good team, but so are we.'' Heather Gripp, (818) 713-3607 heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Palmdale High boys' soccer coach Jarrod Cline has seen the Bulldogs go undefeated this season. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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