DOWNEY – The Downey AYSO girls all-stars 12U team defeated Santa Barbara on March 16 to win the State Tournament. The tournament included teams from throughout California and also Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. It was held at the State Farm Sports Village Soccer Complex in Bakersfield.

Downey defeated a combination Belmont/Redwood team from the San Francisco area, 3-1, to advanced to the championship game.

Against Santa Barbara, Downey attacked first, scoring the game’s first goal within two minutes of play.

Downey would score three more goals to win 4-0.

Earlier in the season, after wining the Area Z Tournament in Pico Rivera, Head Coach Mike Rios told his team he would dye his long brown hair (which he keeps in a ponytail) blonde if the girls advanced to the state tournament.

After the team won the Section 11 Tournament in Garden Grove to advance to the State Tournament, Coach Rios upped the stakes, offering to cut his ponytail if the girls won the championship.

After the victory, Coach Rios lived up to his word. He had his hair braided into 12 separate braids (one for each player) and one by one, each team member cut a braid off Coach Rios’s head.

Girls on the team include Clemencia, Andrea, Jacqueline, Melissa, Arena, Mia, Mariana, Jasmine, Gabriella, Kayla, Carisia and Juliet. The team is coached by Carlos, Mike and Octavio.

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Published: April 17, 2014 - Volume 13 - Issue 01