I DON’T KNOW about you but where I come from those are what we’d call fighting words.
At first, it was Fullerton fans bringing it to me through e-mails and comments on my blog, asking how it was possible the Indians at 12-1-1 are not ranked in the top-10 poll.
But now it’s Fullerton fans going at it with Servite fans after a Fullerton fan posted a comment in my “First Half” blog saying the Indians even beat the Friars twice in summer league, when in fact, that’s not true, according to a Servite fan who responded to the comment.
I’m just glad the spotlight is not on me anymore.
But I can still feel the heat. Last year I gave Fullerton the same treatment, according to Fullerton fans, and neglected them almost all the way through the end of Freeway League play. When I covered a match at Fullerton last year, Coach George Shumaker gave me a bit of a hard time, but all in fun.
Fullerton fans though are trying to get me out to their game earlier before league gets too far ahead. Here’s an e-mail I got earlier this week.
Miguel,Just like last year NO RESPECT. Fullerton @ 11-1-1 doesn’t want to “SNEAK” into the TOP 10 they will earn their way. La Habra hasn’t scored a goal on Fullerton in the last 3 games they have played each other. Fullerton’s only loss this year was to division 1 #6 ranked Cabrillo (LB) in the Championship game at the Marina Tournament. Talk about Servite’s coach’s 150 wins, Fullerton ’s coach Shumaker has 154 WINS. Say something nice about the small school in North county that is 29 - 5 - 2 in the last 2 seasons.
I’ll be heading out to Fullerton sometime next week or the week after. I’ll be sure to bring my entourage with me so I know I’m safe.
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GOT AN E-MAIL from La Habra coach Steve Aanderud just as I was about to leave Staples Center.
Hi Miguel,Thanks for taking notice of us. Today we beat Troy, 4-2, and are now 14-2-1. Don’t forget we beat Aliso Niguel, 3-0, and Cabrillo, 3-2 (10-1-1), both ranked 7th and 6th respectively in the division I CIF poll. Also, Fullerton does seem to be a very good team.Love your blogging, Steve Aanderud –La HabraSteve you make a good argument. And I did not forget your Highlanders beat Aliso Niguel, but I will admit your beating Cabrillo did slip past me. That’s my bad. ***
IF THE SERVITE-Santa Margarita boys soccer story seems one-sided, it’s because it is. Not sure why, but Coach Curt Bauer did not want to talk after his third-ranked Eagles tied No. 1 Servite, 1-1, on Wednesday afternoon.
Takes me back to my day when U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley waved me off when I approached him for an interview back when he was the Chivas USA coach. Then there’s Preki, the current Chivas USA coach, who refused to talk to me one time after practice for a story that ran about one of his players possibly being traded. I won’t get into the specifics, but those two memories came alive when Bauer declined to comment.
As I’m typing this I’m trying to think if there was another high school coach who had refused to talk after losing a game/match, but I can’t think of any.
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I’M DRIVING A friend to San Diego on Thursday night. I’m hoping to be back by Friday afternoon so I can catch No. 2 Saddleback take on No. 10 Santa Ana at 3 p.m. at Centennial Park in Santa Ana. That should be a great match.
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MORE ON SANTA Margarita … I was very impressed with Roger Downes. His defense alone kept the Eagles from losing and several of his headers hit the post or went above the crossbar. Then there was the header where Downes thought he connected to give Santa Margarita a 2-1 lead, but it was called back because of a pushing foul on the Eagles. I clearly saw a push and I did hear the whistle blow before the goal was scored. (Here come the angry e-mails).
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MORE ON SERVITE … I also was left impressed by the Isaac Bolanos and Nick Echeverry, who scored the Friars’ goal. Both are very fast and they compliment each other well.
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MORE ON FULLERTON … Jerry Carter had three assists for the Indians in their 4-0 victory over Sunny Hills. Fullerton looks pretty balanced having received goals from four different players. But you would have known that after reading my story on page 4 in the Register.
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MATER DEI IS looking good. They’re 2-0 in Trinity League play and are 12-4-1 overall. Of course they haven’t played the Big 3 yet.
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IS LOS ALAMITOS still in Orange County? Don Martinez, shoot me an e-mail will ya?
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It’s 2:44 a.m. Time to get some sleep. Feel free to battle it out on the boards while I’m gone. I’ll set things straight on Friday.
MIGUEL A. MELENDEZ/The Register
















I am sure coach shumakers 154 wins is a nice a accomplishment. I bet if Fullerton notified Miguel of it he would have covered it. However, dont suggest that the Servite coach’s accomplishment isnt outstanding. He has won 150 games in under 10 years on schedule that is very demanding (ie Mater Dei, Santa Margarita, Esperanza, Damien, etc.). That is an average of over 15 wins per year for a 10 year period. Give him credit.
Servite get ur facts right, you loss to fullerton twice in summer league and yes you won the tournament, but you did not when undefeated and when fullerton loss in the summer, half of their starters where absence that day. AM SO CONFIDDENT ON FULLERTON, THAT IF THEY WERE TO PLAY SERVITE OR ANY IN THE TOP 10, I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISE WHO WOULD COME OUT WITH A “W”
“MIGUEL I INVITE YOU ON MONDAY JAN, 14 WHEN FULLERTON VISITS LA HABRA”
Summer League???? Sounds like “one time at band camp…” ROTFLMAO!!!! Servite played their starting keeper at forward during summer league and still beat fullerton.
Have some credibility Melendez. Your summary of the SM vs Servite game held some major flaws and once again was spun in Servite’s favor. Servite is a great team and deserve credit, but being turned down by Coach Bauer was nothing personal; He probably just didn’t want his comments to be to written in an unfavorable way like they mostly are.
Maybe Coach and Proof should compare notes, before posting on behalf of Servite. Knowing if you have one or two teams in a summer league would help give you creditability to your claim. If memory serves me right, you (Servite) usually do come with multiple teams. In this years summer league there was La Habra, Brea, El Dorado, Fullerton, Sunny Hills, Servite 1&2 and some one else we should give Servite their due’s, they did win summer league, It unknown if it was team1or team 2 that won it. But let’s face it Servite has been back pedaling away from local soccer powers: the Anaheim H.S, Katella H.S Brea and Fullerton H.S. of the area. Give us local soccer fans a tournament in December with the teams mentioned above make it by invitation only. There’s many ways to run this kind of tourney, example Split it up by divisions or leagues, rotate the host team instead of just gathering teams from all over the O.C.
How did Servite do in the West Coast classic, best of the west this year?
Did it get out of pool play? or didn’t they play at all?
Actually Servite had one team in the varisty summer league and 2 in the JV summer league. The Varsity team was the varisty champs and both JV teams played in the JV finals. It was a complete sweep!
Regards backpaling, give it up. Servite plays as tough a preseason schedule as anyone and shy’s away from no one. Asking the local soccer “powers (?)” why they refuse to schedule Servite might be more appropriate.
Servite did not play West Coast classic this year. West Coast changed their schedule at the last second, after Servite had already set its preseason tournament schedule. The dates of the West Coast tournament conflicted with Servite’s Trinity league match obligations (Servite was scheduled to play JSerra on Jan 4, the day West Coast scheduled its Semi-Finals). FYI, Servite did beat Damien, the West Coast finalist, in the Upland tournament.
The problem here is that the sports writers for the register are afraid to think for themselves, they get all their orders from stevie friar, and because his son went to servite every sports day has to have a story about servite or sm. don’t we have more than 2 or 3 teams in the county, let me give you an example of friars thinking in one of his postings he says md taking on sm isn’t md #1 and sm#2, and also weds game md/jserra no score anywhere in next day paper, read it in la times. You sports writers need to realize whatever sport you cover the county has many teams and they all have a story. forget poor sport steve friar, he is just mad his friar son never beat MD in football. so you sports writers need to grow some and quit being fryers punks.
Bob needs a hug
who this Bob sucka is??? who he supposed ta be??? see that’s how suckas get jumped on, he better watch his mouth, talkin’ ’bout thinkin’ he need ta’ think like he got some sense up in this blog
Jenille Monae english please….