FINALLY! WOMEN'S SOCCER DEBUTS AT CITY COLLEGE

BY TRACY HELD
Staff Writer

ANTONELLA FABIANI / GUARDSMAN

Approximately 30 women at City College jumped—and kicked—at the chance to join the new women’s soccer team with Coach Alicia St. John on Aug. 24.

For City College women, the creation of a women’s soccer team fulfills a longtime yearning for the aggressive sport.

“Soccer is 90 minutes of crazy fun,” Katerina Pavlova said. She played soccer for 20 years while growing up in Europe.

“I stopped playing when I came to this country, because people don’t play soccer here,” she said. “When I saw women’s soccer in the schedule I said, ‘Oh, my God! I don’t believe it!’”

For the Athletic Department, the soccer team is an opportunity to attract more women to campus sports.

“This sport’s time had come,” Women’s Athletic Director Daniel Hayes said. “There were a number of inquiries to teachers about women’s soccer, and we all realized this was the direction we needed to go to create more opportunities for women participants,” he said.

Lois Lewis, who is simultaneously playing soccer and competing in cross country this semester, said “girls don’t have a lot of contact sports to get their aggression out.”

City College women compete in a number of competitive sports including softball, basketball, track and field, tennis, volleyball, badminton and judo.

One motivation for creating a women’s soccer team this semester was compliance with Title IX legislation. This law requires federally funded schools to offer comparable sports opportunities to both men and women.

Hayes credited the “great commitment from the chancellor on down” for the development of the new women’s soccer team. “The administration could have argued that times were tough, and the team should wait until things got better financially, but they made it happen,” Hayes said.

At least 31 women supported the administration’s decision by joining the first practice. “The response from students is incredible,” Coach Alicia St. John said. “It seems like a lot of women have this really intense love for the game.”

Claudia Villalon has been playing soccer since she was six, and dreams of joining the Mexican National Team.

Before the women’s team was created, Villalon was so determined to “get back into form” that she asked the men’s soccer coach, Adam Lucarelli, to allow her to practice with the men’s team. She enjoyed the competition and the challenge of playing with the men.

ANTONELLA FABIANI / GUARDSMAN

”If I can play with guys, I can hold my ground in general,” she said. She is happy now that she is able to practice with other women.

In addition to teaching leadership and communication, and providing friendship opportunities, Villalon said soccer builds character and teaches women to not be afraid of the ball or person-to-person contact.

“It’s not really a power trip, but it gives you a sense of control,” she said.

Of course, a good soccer team requires guidance.

Coach St. John played soccer while growing up in New Jersey. She played competitive soccer in high school and college, coached high school soccer, taught yoga for nine years, and worked as a message therapist for seven years.

“She appears to be an outstanding coach,” Hayes said. “She’s real committed, personable, and she knows the game. I think we have the right coach.”

St. John joined the City Coll-ege staff last year. Recognizable by her long, black pigtails, generous smile, and positive affirmations, St. John exhibits a certain level of composure on the field even when things go awry – like a new player accidentally kicking a soccer ball into her back.

“I want to build on the excitement, the great attitudes of having fun and being competitive,” St. John said. “If we’re not having fun in sports then we’re really confused.”

Students joining the team this semester will not officially represent City College in com-petition until Fall 2005, when the team will begin competing for a spot in the Coast Confer-ence.

“This semester we’re focusing on getting off to the right start,” Hayes said. “Our first goal is to offer a real first class soccer program for women at City College.”

The women’s soccer team practices Tuesdays and Wednes-days from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Ocean Avenue campus football field.

Women are encouraged to contact Coach St. John by calling 415-452-7051 for more information about joining the soccer team.

SOCCER: Taking No Prisoners

BY MARLON LUMANG
Staff Writer

ANTONELLA FABIANI / GUARDSMAN

Adam Lucarelli, Men’s Soccer Coach, is entering his eighth year of coaching at City College coming off a season of 14 wins, six losses and two ties.

While this may look impressive to an outsider, Lucarelli describes it as the Rams’ worst season in the past four years. The team has become a victim of its own success, and expectations have reached new heights.

Coach Lucarelli expects this year’s edition of the Rams to be far more competitive.

“It’s the best team I’ve had in the last five years,” Lucarelli said. “Our team this season is very skillful.”

Given Lucarelli’s high standards, this is a bold proclamation.

The Rams’ soccer team practices at noon everyday and their hard work showed in their first scrimmage. The team looked very sharp for this early in the season.

One of the team’s goals this season is to maintain possession of the ball and control the pace of the game, Lucarelli said.

Lucarelli has some advice for his players. “Don’t try to play past your ability; use your teammates, because the team is more important than the individual,” he said.

A dozen players are returning from last season, including defensive anchors Miguel Jigalin and Melchor Gutierrez, who will be relied on to control the back half of the field.

Luciano Fusco, a Skyline transfer, is expected to captain the team.

“Fusco is a good example for the rest of the team,” Lucarelli said. “I could compare him to Jerry Rice because he is very responsible, mature-minded and a hard worker academically.”

With a good mix of experienced players and talented newcomers, like freshman Yuen Klopatowski, Lucarelli has no qualms about challenging his team to achieve big things.

“My goals this season are to go to the conference championship and make it to the final four state championship,” Lucarelli said. “Anything less than that will be disappointing.”

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Young Team Faces Lofty Expectations

BY DIEGO VALDEZ-SANCHEZ
Staff Writer

CHARLES CHAN / GUARDSMAN

The Rams face huge expectations as the season opens Sept. 4 on the road against Cabrillo College.

Going 12-0 last season and winning another national title, City College is looking to continue its success on the field despite a young team that sent more than 20 players to Division One programs last year, the equivalent of an entire football team.

The team will be forced to go through growing pains with sev-en new starters on offense and 10 new starters on defense.

Unfortunately, City College’s challenging schedule won’t allow any time to integrate all the new parts. In the first few weeks of the season, the team will play top-ranked teams Fresno and West Hills.

“You have to be prepared every week because there is no soft spot in the schedule,” Coach Rush said.

City College is in one of the toughest divisions in the state. Six of City College’s ten games are against teams ranked among the top 30 in the state, according to JUCO Football Network, including Butte which ranked second in California.

With new additions like defensive back Aaron Johnson, transfers like Larry Grant, one of the top receivers in California, and Thomas Patton, who played defensive end last season at UCLA, City College is expecting big things.

“I’m real pleased with the freshman class,” Rush said.

With a hefty gray-shirt class – players who practiced with the team last year – City College has players who already know the system.

Returning veterans such as all-conference quarterback Joseph Ayoob, wide receiver Ruben Jackson, and offensive linemen Taase Jennings and Bryce MacMartin will be dep-ended on to provide leadership and bring stability to a young team.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop is the only returning starter on defense. Special teams will also have to make some adjustments with all new kickers.

In a scrimmage held a few weeks ago, Rush found his offense was clicking, but felt his defense was committing too many mental errors.

“As a young team they have to mesh together and kind of find a team chemistry and find their stride,” Rush said.

The first home game for City College is against West Valley College on Sept. 11.

INSIDE THE UNIFORM: PART 1

BY MILES HARWELL
Staff Writer

CHARLES CHAN / GUARDSMAN

The City College Rams return after an undefeated year that saw them win their seventh national championship.

Leading the charge on defense is sophomore linebacker Desmond Bishop, who is recognized as a team leader by both his teammates and the coaching staff.

Bishop brings intensity, athleticism and morals, Coach George Rush said.

“Those are all the qualities you want to see in a player,” Rush said.

Rush describes Bishop as a player he has watched develop into one of the top linebackers in the state. Bishop is currently being looked at by top football programs such as USC (2003 NCAA co-national champions), LSU and Oklahoma University

The 6’2, 240 pound Bishop has been playing football for 12 years. Playing football at Fairfield High School prepared Bishop for the rugged inner squad competitions of City College, where players battle for spots on the team.

Bishop describes his role on the team as being a problem for the other team’s offense, or as he says, “the virus inside their computer program.”

“My role on the team is to be the leader on the field and to know where everyone is,” Bishop said.

Bishop chose to go to City College after not being accepted into the University of Nevada-Reno. He also chose City College because his father played for Coach Rush.

He hasn’t had much trouble adjusting to life on campus, due to the diversity of City College, which was similar to that of his high school. Bishop has found the classes at City College to be fair.

“The classes are not too easy, but not too hard,” Bishop said. He sees academics in general as very important.

Bishop believes the team’s biggest challenges this year will be an inexperienced defense - Bishop is the only returning defensive starter - and a harder schedule that includes the highly regarded Fresno and Santa Rosa teams. Bishop believes the team will be successful in another championship run, despite the difficult schedule.

“As long as I can make big plays in big games we will be able to win,” Bishop said.

The next step for Bishop will be Division One football, most likely at USC because of its California location. But the focus now is on the season before him, as Bishop attempts to take his team all the way.