HOW ARE YOU guys doing? It’s been a while since we last talked in this space.

Since we’ve last talked, I have had someone break into my car, my investments have taken a bit of a plunge because of a market that seems to be getting worse and I’ve gained a few pounds.

But on a positive note, Santa Margarita and La Habra claimed the CIF-Southern Section Division I and III titles, respectively. And the Eagles also claimed the inaugural CIF Southern California Regional Division II title.

With the season done and over that meant only one thing was left to do: publish our Register All-County teams and player and coach of the year.

The process always is grueling. It’s never easy to select the first, second and third teams. There’s sometimes a feeling that someone was left out despite the long hours put into research and interviewing of coaches who played against the top players in the county.

But I will say this: for the first time in four years I feel I finally selected a strong and without question the best 11 in Orange County.

As I’m sure you have read in the paper and online by now, the first team selections are:

Billy Thompson (Santa Margarita, goalkeeper); Roger Downes (Santa Margarita, defender); Tim Pontius (Servite, defender); Austin McAnena (Santa Margarita, midfielder); Jonathan Prieto (La Habra, midfielder); Omar Laris (Saddleback, midfielder); Wes Feighner (Los Alamitos, midfielder); Mauricio Gonzalez (Saddleback, midfielder); Brent Hellessen (Orange Lutheran, Forward); Mike Munoz (Santa Margarita, forward); and Andy Martinez (San Clemente, forward).

Edgar Bran of La Habra is the Register’s boys soccer player of the year and Curt Bauer of Santa Margarita is the coach of the year (more on that in a bit).

The first team selections are based on surveys taken by selected county coaches who have played against the players listed above. Among things taken into consideration are how a player’s presence impacts the team’s ability to perform, the player’s leadership, demeanor and domination of his position among other players in the county.

As the playoffs neared and throughout the playoffs, I surveyed coaches and asked their imput for All-County first team selection. Coaches were encouraged only to nominate players not on their team. So when Los Alamitos coach Don Martinez and Santa Ana Valley coach Jose Sanchez were at a roundtable breakfeast with myself and another reporter, they only were allowed to talk about players they saw play.

For example: Coach Martinez had nice things to say about Alex Loeffelman, the Fountain Valley forward who scored 23 goals. Coach Sanchez shared his thoughts on Edgar Bran and Jonathan Prieto, players that he faced against in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs.

But those were not the only coaches surveyed for the All-County first team selection. Others were asked to give their input. Some did. Some didn’t.

Numerous phone calls were made to coaches several times to re-assure their selection. After several weeks of asking around, the first-team was finally selected and I was comfortable with the selection. I felt it was not only safe to go with my first team selection, but it was the best team put together on the field.

Once the first team was selected, it was time to call the coaches of the players and notify them of their status as first team All-County. It is important that I was confident with my selections because once the phone calls are made to their coaches, there is no turning back. Reason is because once coaches are notified they are instructed to tell their players to arrive at The Register offices in Santa Ana for a photo shoot. It would be not only embarassing to me but also devestating to the player if he showed up and found out it was a mistake for him to arrive for a photo shoot he was not meant to be at.

Fortunately, that has not been a mistake I have made the last four years. But I feel that this year’s All-County team is the strongest, best and most accurate selection.

***

THE PLAYER OF the Year award can be the easiest and most obvious selection or it can be the most difficult to pin-point.

The players of the year I have personallly selected, in order, are: Jeff Clark (Esperanza), Juan Tolento (Santa Ana Valley), Greg Francis (La Habra) and this year’s honoree, Edgar Bran (La Habra).

In my opinion, Clark, Tolento and Francis were obvious selections. Both were seniors at the time of their selection and each led their teams to the finals of the CIF-Southern Section Divisional playoffs.

Clark was a dominant force at forward for the Aztecs; Tolento scored 47 goals in leading the Falcons to a Division III title; and Francis scored 37 goals and led the Highlanders to their first CIF-Southern Section Division III title.

Of those three, Francis was the more difficult choice to make beause his teammate, Bran, also amassed 30 goals that season. But it was determined that Francis was more dominant, his speed and agility making him the favorite to win the award. And he also was a senior at the time; Bran was a junior.

This year, however, there were several players who were in the mix for player of the year. Including Bran, there were four players who were considered for the award.

But a consensus was reached and Bran was determined to be the player who was more intimidating and had a striking presence, and it was obvious he was the X-factor; the type of player that needed to be shut down if a team was to have a chance to beat his team. Bran also came through for his team. He scored his 34th and 35th goals of the season in the second half against Saddleback to help La Habra come from behind and win its second straight CIF-SS Division III title. A player of that caliber needs to come up big when his team needs him most and Bran came through.

***

THE COACH OF the Year award also was tough to make this season. There were six coaches who in my mind were up for the award. Four of those six coaches were asked to select their coach of the year (the four coaches had no idea they were in contention for the award) and at the end of the season picked Curt Bauer of Santa Margarita.

The coach of the year award goes to the coach who gets the most out of the least talent given to work with. There is no doubt Coach Curt Bauer did not fall into that criteria given the talented group at hand. However, even with such a strong group, there is no guarantee the team will win and succeed the way this year’s Eagles did. (Remember the Lakers when Coach Phil Jackson had Shaq, Kobe, Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Derek Fisher? I thought for sure they’d win the title but too much fire doesn’t always lead to success).

Coach Curt Bauer found a way to keep his guys motivated and did not let them believe in their own hype. The Eagles were in headlines, stories and had photos published in the Register; they finished as the top-ranked team in the county and also in the CIF-SS Division I rankings. But Bauer did not let those accolades get to their head. The Eagles still worked harder and found a way to win, breaking two school records along the way en route to their third straight CIF-SS Division I title and the SoCal Regional Division II title.

Here is what I wrote for the coach of the year story:

—————————————————————————————————-

He had the players. He had the talent.

How could Santa Margarita coach Curt Bauer not win?

“Even when you have the talent and have all the ingredients of a championshp team you still have to find a way to keep a team with such a high nucleus motivated,” said one Orange County coach who echoed other coach’s views when asked to pick the county’s best coach, “and that responsibility falls on on the coach. Curt (Bauer) did that.”

Bauer is laidback, methodical and poignant - all at the same time.

And he knew that having a lot of weapons doesn’t always mean an easy task.

“You have to remember that they all come eight to 10 different club teams,” Bauer said. “And some of them are the main guy on their team or play certain positions on their team.

“So they would have to come here and I’d have to say, ‘Look, maybe you’re not going to be a forward for us. Roger, you’re going to stay in the back and not come forward and get involved in the attack.’ Things like that they’re not used to doing, but they put the team before they put themselves ahead and said, ‘I’ll do that for the team.’”

Bauer got the Eagles to put their personal gains behind the team gains and buy into the game plan.

“That’s defending first and attacking second,” Bauer said. “They bought into it and believed in it.”

Santa Margarita as a result cemeted its role as a perennial powerhouse after winning its third straight CIF-Southern Section Division I title and the inaugural CIF Southern California Regional Division II title, all the while allowing only 12 goals (a new school record) and recording 19 shutouts, one shy of the school record of 20 set in 1995.

Bauer arguably is the most knowledgeable coach in the state, as several coaches and members of the media expressed. He has coached many players who have gone on to top Division I schools and also gone on to play in Major League Soccer.

For his consistency and ability to keep a nucleus team play cohesively, Bauer is The Register’s 2007-08 Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.

——————————————————————————————————–

I personally talked on the phone with two coaches and told them they were in the running for coach of the year award. I was comfortable telling them why in the end I selected Bauer. To my surprise (and this is how classy and honest these two coaches are) they agreed with my selection. I know both of these coaches well enough to know they were not agreeing with me just for the sake of agreeing with me and not feeling left out. These two coaches are real classy and it is why it is a pleasure to cover them and their teams.

For two weeks I could not sleep and drive. When I went to bed I had a hard time narrowing down the final two candidate for coach of the year. I kid you not, when I would drive to the office, to an assignment or having lunch with a friend-reporter, I could not stop thinking about my decision. I wanted to make the right decision and after numerous phone calls and serious thinking, I know I made the right decision in my selecting Curt Bauer.

These decisions never come easy. Not to me or Steve Fryer (boys basketball), Carlos Arias (girls basketball), Damian Calhoun (wrestling) Dan Albano (water polo) and Jason Eichelberger (girls soccer).

We do the very best we can. A lot of hard work goes to making these selections so I hope that if there is a concern with mine or other reporter’s selections, you be kind with your e-mails asking for feedback. Because I can bet you we did not just throw darts on the wall and make our picks on a coin flip.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to e-mail or leave a comment. It’s time to go to bed. For pete’s sake it’s 5:14 a.m.!!!!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 5:14 am and is filed under Miguel Melendez. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.