Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

U-14 Chargers among the nation's best

By EMERY SKOLFIELD
Published June 25, 2006

With its recent victory at the Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup in Palm Bay, the Clearwater Chargers under-14 boys soccer team improved its season record to 65-1-3.

The Chargers, ranked No. 7 in the U.S. Club Soccer national poll, have not lost since December and, through State Cup play, had outscored foes by a staggering 325-22 margin.

It wouldn't seem unnatural, then, for the Chargers to entertain thoughts of a national title.

Not so fast, said coach Peter Mannino, whose team earned a spot in the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Championships with its State Cup win.

"We're just taking one game at a time, one step at a time right now," said Mannino, who also coached the Chargers' U-17 boys squad to a State Cup crown. "Regionals obviously are another level of soccer. To get through regionals, you've got to play six matches in six days. It's definitely going to be a test."

The U-14 Chargers, whose only loss came to Solar Soccer Club Dallas in the semifinal round of the prestigious Disney Showcase, will be one of 16 teams vying for a regional title when play gets under way June 29 in North Little Rock, Ark.

The Region III tournament will feature top teams from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, along with the region's top premier league team.

Winners from each region will qualify for the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, July 24-30.

"The boys have shown all year that they're very capable of performing," Mannino said. "We're just going to go out and try to do our best."

The Chargers rolled through their State Cup draw, winning all seven of their games and outscoring opponents 27-3 before sneaking past Central Brevard 2-1 in the title game.

Chargers standout Zack MacMath, a member of the U-15 national team, found Nick Jones for a pair of goals - one in the 35th minute and another in the 48th. Brevard scored its lone goal in the second half. MacMath is a goalkeeper on the national team but plays in the field for his club team.

MacMath, Jones, Anthony Bauman, Xavier Gonzalez, Shaun Greenfield, Carrington Hogan, Elliott Krueger, Jayson Lopacik, Pablo Noriega, Max Rockwell, Wes Sever, Ben Sweat, Korey Veeder, Sam Venker, Robbie Wallace, Alex Wegener make up the U-14 Chargers roster.

Two other north Pinellas County teams earned State Cup titles. The U-16 and U-18 girls programs from the Countryside Lightning organization also won.

The U-16 Lightning, coached by Tina Trimborn, defeated Inter United of Orlando 3-2 in the title game. The U-18 Lightning girls, playing under coach John Planamenta, beat Melbourne's Indialantic 3-1 for the championship.

SWIMMING: St. Petersburg Aquatics won the West Florida Lightning Aquatics Invitational in Largo, with Melanie Margalis winning seven individual events in the 13-14 girls division. Megan Romano added six individual event titles, swimming in the senior girls division.

Kaylan Marckese, Kaitlin Frehling, Ashley Rossi, Tracy Rorer, Mitchell Snyder and Brenno Varanda also won individual events for SPA.

The Dolphins topped the nine-team meet field thanks to PCL-record performances by Macy Marshburn (25 breaststroke); Caroline Myers (200 individual medley); and Jonathan Taddeo (200 IM).

Marshburn, Myers, Taddeo, Sarah Hughes, Zach Perrotti, Weston Stearns and Katie Kastes each garnered high-point honors in their respective age divisions.

BASEBALL: Pinellas Park Youth Baseball League captured three titles and Northwest Little League won the other two at the Dizzy Dean District 5 All-Star tournaments, held June 2-7 at Davis Field and Fossil Park.

Teams from the Pinellas Park organization won titles in the 6-and-under, 8-under and 10-under divisions, while Northwest teams were victorious in the 12-under and 14-under divisions.

Northwest's 14-under All-Stars battled their way through the loser's bracket after an early loss to Pinellas Park, winning a rematch in 15 innings to earn a spot in the title game. Another victory over Pinellas Park granted Northwest the district crown.

Winners moved on to the Florida State Dizzy Dean Championships. Fossil Park hosted the 6-under tournament beginning this weekend and will host the 8-under tournament beginning July 8.

Times correspondent Emery Skolfield can be reached at (727) 481-2027 or sptimesyouth@yahoo.com.

[Last modified June 25, 2006, 03:22:10]