The Student Sports Invitational, one of the state's elite tournaments, features four teams from Pinellas.
By LAURA LEE
Published December 20, 2003
Perhaps the most prestigious boys soccer tournament in the state, the Student Sports Invitational, returns to Tampa today. The four-team Pinellas County contingent, Clearwater Central Catholic, Countryside, Palm Harbor U. and Seminole, is anticipating the competition and hoping a good performance can thrust them in a positive direction.
CCC (4-1-1) is the county veteran of the tournament, playing every year since the 1996-97 season. The Marauders have gotten close to winning, playing in the semifinals a few times.
"We feel good about the weekend," said CCC coach Jim Harte, whose Marauders are ninth in the Class 3A poll. said. "We've got a state ranking and we hope our state ranking holds up."
Harte said for a Florida team, winning this tournament is like being crowned the "mythical overall state champion." And it could have greater implications on a national level. Champions from the past two years went on to be ranked No. 1 in the country for winter soccer.
Harte also said he has seen the tournament make a name for unknowns like Brandon which made a somewhat surprising trip the semifinals last season then went on to win a state championship.
After a rough start, Seminole is coming in playing some of its best soccer. Last week the Warhawks dealt Palm Harbor U. and CCC their only losses of the season. Coach Rick Masi started with some injuries and players still playing football and said almost everyone is back and healthy. Masi said he can't remember the last time Seminole (6-3-2) played in the tournament.
"It's new to us," Masi said, "But we're looking forward to it. Every game, we're getting better."
This is Palm Harbor's first crack at the tournament. Last year, as defending state champions, PHU probably should have been in it, but there was some miscommunication about whether or not the team would play. This year, Palm Harbor (7-1-2) will have to rebound after its first loss of the season.
"I'm really glad that happened to us," PHU coach Juan Pablo Pinzon said. "They were feeling confident, a little bit too confident. It's put things in perspective."
Countryside (5-2-3) didn't have the best showing in last year's tournament, but coach David Sica said the team learned a lot from playing against high-caliber teams. Countryside's three ties prove the Cougars are playing right along with their competition. They play Satellite Beach today, which they tied in a Thanksgiving tournament.
"Our goal is to keep getting better," Sica said. "If we come out and lose all three games and we play better, I got nothing to shake a stick at."
