The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Shooting to Win: Members of the Central Valley Outlaws practice before their Kellogg's Bowl Championship game last Saturday, when they fell 3-2 to the Modesto Ajax.

Central Valley Outlaws outgunned in Kellogg's Bowl Championship

Coach attributes first-half jitters to stadium crowd

By Christine Frey

Before the San Jose Clash could take to the field Saturday night, a group of 14-year-olds beat them to it. The Central Valley Outlaws, an under-15 boys' soccer team, played in the Inaugural Cal North Kellogg's Bowl Championship game for the chance to represent the Clash in the tournament finals.

Although they lost to the Modesto Ajax 3-2, Outlaw coach Richard Johnson said the opportunity to play in Spartan Stadium was enough. "The guys enjoy playing. To them, that's the highlight. We've got a win situation either way we go," he said in a pre-game interview.

However, playing in front of a crowd of 500 affected the Outlaw's performance. Johnson attributed to nerves his team's 2-0 half-time deficit. "We didn't play the way we usually play," Johnson said.

His players, some of whom are Willow Glen residents, were well aware of it. After their half-time pep talk, they returned to the field and tied the game. "We had them on their heels," Johnson said. Miguel Villa and Jose Flores each scored a goal. But with six minutes left on the clock, the Ajax scored. The Outlaws were unable to come back.

Johnson believes the Outlaws would have won the game if the referee had not made two calls against them. During the first half, Outlaw Kevin Lyle shot the ball just beyond the goal line before a defender kicked it out. Johnson said the ball was "clearly in," but the referee did not agree. In the second half, Outlaw Shawn Wageman also kicked the ball into the goal, but it was thrown out by the Ajax keeper before the referee could determine if it passed the goal line.

Another incident involving the referee was more comical. Wageman shot the ball at the goal, but instead of hitting the net, it bounced off the referee's backside. Laughing, Johnson recalled that the ball flew to the midfield line. It was from that play that the Ajax repossessed the ball and made their third goal.

The Ajax will now advance to the next level of play in Orlando, Fla. While Johnson is disappointed that his team has been eliminated from the tournament, he is proud of his players reaching the championships. "The main thing is they took another step in life," he said.

Now the Outlaws will be preparing for the Sacramento Cup and a tournament in North Huntington Beach. This spring, their record is 10 wins, one tie and one loss. Their fall record was 42-8-12.

As a boy, Johnson played soccer with the other kids on his street. He said tournaments such as the Kellogg's Bowl show his 15 players that it's not just a neighborhood game. "The main thing I try to show these kids [is that the game is played in] more than a block radius," he said.

And he's done just that. Some of his players, including his 14-year-old son, Justin Johnson, have great aspirations for their soccer career. "We're just waiting for our time at the World Cup," Justin, the Outlaw's right halfback, said.

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