Led by Coaches Chris Runquist and Brent Haas, Santa Barbara AYSO All Star Boys 10U Team made it to the Western States Championship in the classic AYSO All-Star Regional Playoff Tournament, March 12.
The Santa Barbara AYSO All Stars Boys 10U team members are Anders Runquist #17, Santiago Vega #11, Asher Alvardo #72, Daniel Marin #7, Glen Criss #99, Isaiah Estrella #2, Jax Haas #12, Jayden Arevalo #77, Landon Armstrong #13, and Ollie Cotte #10.
The winning streak started in early February when the Santa Barbara Boys team — SB “People” — headed to Moorpark to battle in the classic AYSO All-Star Regional Playoff Tournament.
Despite comments like, “It’s hard to beat teams from Oxnard and Camarillo,” from a number of longtime AYSO fans and former coaches, SB “People” beat the odds and won the regional tournament, triumphing in all of their games vs. Camarillo#1 All Stars, vs. South Oxnard, vs. Ojai, and vs. North Oxnard.
The wins qualified SB “People” for the sectional tournament in Bakersfield. Before Bakersfield, though, SB “People” entered the Presidents’ Cup in Chatsworth and prevailed in that tournament as well, by winning all games vs. Chatsworth, vs. Covina, vs. Camarillo#2, vs. Moorpark, and again vs. Camarillo #2.
On March 4 the team was off to Bakersfield, again being warned about the tough teams they’d have to beat. SB “People” did in fact face some fierce competition, but at the end of the first day had won their pool (four pools of four teams each for Boys 10U), and advanced to the semi-finals the next day.
SB “People” won their semi-final game vs. Cutler-Orosi and made it to the finals vs. Canyon Country. The nail-biter game ended in a 2-2 tie and went to penalty shootouts with the local goalie saving the last shot.
As winners of the AYSO All-Star Sectional Tournament, SB “People” qualified for the March 12 Western States Championships, in Moorpark.
SB “People” started the day with a semi-final win against Half Moon Bay, which boosted them into the championship game against Manhattan Beach-Hermosa.
It was a brutal final showdown, and Manhattan Beach-Hermosa won, but the regional directors made sure to emphasize to the Santa Barbara team that the Western Division has 180,000 players, and they should consider themselves part of the top 20.
For making it to the finals, one AYSO director commented, “It’s as far as you can get.”
