At the February 27 Frazier Mountain High School Winter Sports Banquet (sponsored by the FMHS Booster Club), athletes gathered together with family, friends and coaches for dinner and an awards ceremony. I began to realize it is time for a final wrap-up of our surprising season. We made it to the playoffs and that made proud FMHS history.

As a coach it has always been difficult to single out players for specific awards. After all, this is a team sport and we succeed together or fail together. However, there are players who for various reasons stand out and must be recognized for their efforts.

Best Defensive Player Award went to our Goal Keeper Logan Kelly. Logan was nothing short of superhuman at the net. He reads developing situations extremely well and communicates with his team mates constantly. Many of our wins and most of our close games were due to Logan’s tenacious skill in net.

Best Offensive Player Award went to our Left Forward Luis Meza. Luis was a scoring machine. He scored 23 goals and assisted on another 12. He is as competitive as anyone I’ve ever seen.

Coach’s Award went to Tony Lenz. Tony did not have one position, he had many. The only position he did not play was goal keeper, but he would have been willing. Tony gave everything he had every time he stepped onto the field, during games and during practice. His toughness and his ability is something every coach longs to have in a player. Tony was also one of our team captains for the entire season.

What about the other guys? How does a coach single out three guys when they depend on the other players to be successful? We live in an imperfect world, but I am pleased to be given the space here to honor the rest of our team: Andrew Lemburg brought speed to the forward and midfield positions. He has a great work ethic and gave 100%. He plans to play college soccer, and will do well.

Miguel Villapondo brought an enthusiasm to the team that was contagious. His work in the midfield area was solid. Kris Barrington was our anchor on defense. He won almost every challenge. His transition from defense to offense was excellent, as are his ball handling skills, and his use of his head. His love of the game is unparalleled and his knowledge and vision are great. Kris was also a team captain for the entire season.

Mitchell Bates, a junior, spent his playing time on defense and at midfield. He went at every task with everything he had. His play in the midfield became very solid and his slide tackling skills are hard to match. Sean Jenvay, a sophomore, went at every task with total enthusiasm, even when the task was something that he didn’t necessarily enjoy. Sean has excellent speed and a terrific work ethic.

Dustin Madewell was a dominating force on defense. Technically he played defense, but with his speed he often joined the rush. Dustin is tough and disciplined. His ability to steal the ball and then move it upfield is amazing. He has a work ethic that a coach longs for in every player. Dustin plays smart, tough, solid soccer.

Ethan Fausto constantly thwarted attackers and put a healthy fear into any player that came his way. He plays with intensity and a rage that makes him scary on the field. If a player encounters Ethan, he remembers it. Ethan also made each bus trip very memorable.

Joey Regan played impassioned soccer. His aggressive style gets lots of attention from referees and opposing coaches. He is a fierce competitor and an excellent play maker. He has an innate ability for being in the right place at the right time.

Jonathan Rivette played several positions but mostly midfield. John saw his playing time increase drastically with each passing week. He has developed into a solid defensive player and his passing has improved greatly. His work ethic is great and his hard work is paying off.

Eddie Reyes has an amazing ability of dribbling into a crowd of three or four defenders and coming out of the pile with the ball and a wake of people behind him. Eddie also has a great way of putting the ball on frame (target). With more hard work, he should develop into an amazing player.

Skyler Kelly started almost every game as a freshman and worked hard to do so. Skyler took most of our corner kicks which led to many of our goals. He also took most of our indirect kicks. He too is developing into a great player.

At the end of each season the High Desert League gives out "League Awards." The winners are discussed among the coaches of each team and presented to the players later in the school year. Our league award winners are as follows: First Team All League, Logan Kelly; Second Team All League, Tony Lenz; All Academic, Jonathan Rivette; Honorable Mention, Luis Meza and Dustin Madewell.

Three more team awards were created by the team for the following people: John Nommenson, Best Assistant Coach (thank you for your time and hard work), Nick Scheenstra, Best Equipment Boy and Lorenzo Murillo received an award for ‘what could have been.’ Next year Lorenzo!

I would like to thank Dan Penner and Rob Roy for all of their support. They stood by me and our team through good and bad. I am thankful for the opportunity they have given me. Thanks also to the FMHS Booster Club, namely Michelle Penner, Pam Sturdevant, Anna Hughes and Julia Jens. It was a wonderful evening.

In closing, we had a good season, but we are left longing for more. The taste in our mouths is bittersweet. It was sweet because of the playoff berth. This was a first for the boys. It was bitter because it left us longing for more. Our future is extremely bright and our best days are just around the corner.

This is part of the March 16, 2007 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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