UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Rugby: Dec. 22 @ La Costa Canyon High• Girls’ Basketball: Dec. 22 Kiwanis Tournament• Varsity Wrestling: Dec. 22-4 @ LA

Convention Center• Girls’ Water Polo: Dec. 29 @ New Port Harbor

High school

11SPORTSDEC. 21, 2012

Iliad

JAWAN AQILStaff Writer

ALYSCIA MANNERSStaff Writer

Each year new students come to Poway, whether they are close to home or somewhere around the world. A new face this year is varsity soccer player Ilton de Oliveira Chaves.

Chaves is an exchange student from Brazil who is staying with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Being in America has been a very rewarding and exciting experience for de Oliveira Chaves. He has enjoyed learning English, meeting new people, and just seeing how the United States functions so differently from Brazil. “Everything is different here. Even though the United States is more organized, Brazil still has more of a warm, friendlier culture,” de Oliveira

Chaves said. Chaves will only be here until the end of January. Even though

he really misses his family, friends, and girlfriend back in Brazil, Chaves has made great friends such as seniors Jacob Johnson and Sameer Aboufadel. “Ever since Ilton came here we have been great friends. Although he didn’t know how to speak English, he is basically fl uent now. He is also a beast soccer player! ” Aboufadel said.

De Oliveira Chaves has been playing soccer his whole life, both club and indoor in Brazil. “His great attitude has really been displayed on the team. He’s a funny guy and the whole team loves him,” Coach Gene Morris said. Unfortunately, because of CIF transfer rules, de Oliveira Chaves is not allowed to play in a soccer game until January.

De Oliveira Chaves really has a passion for soccer and his favorite position is center mid. He “likes how in soccer there’s a relationship between everyone, and that they’re like a family.” De Oliveira Chaves will be able to play in his fi rst game on January 8. “Ilton is a great player and when he’s able to play he’ll help our team a signifi cant amount,” Morris said.

LAUREN HUNSICKERStaff Writer

Rugby wins fi rst gameBRENDA MARTINEZ-GONZALEZSports Editor

Recently, varsity boys’ soccer faced tough competition in the North County Tournament. On Dec. 12 they played one of their rivals and most diffi cult opponents, the Mt. Carmel Sun Devils. The fi rst half of the game against the Sun Devils may have resulted in Poway trailing 0 to 3, but the Titans still played with confi dence and an admirable attitude of never giving up.

Goal keeper and senior captain Spencer Orr made some great saves in the fi rst half, especially in the last minute when he blocked a diffi cult shot by the Sun devils. Sophomore Kellen Gallagher and senior Drake Berdan played with endurance and were both very close to scoring in the second half.

In the last eight minutes, Berdan drew in a foul that gave Poway the advantage of a penalty kick, which was shot and made by Gallagher. The game ended with a Titan loss of 1 to 4. “We played well under the circumstances we faced. We were missing a few starters, and they are a very good team,” said senior captain Andrew Savitt, who plays sweeper. “We need to work on our passing and communicating; we’ve just got to do a better job of passing and working together, and just try to build some confi dence. They are really hard

on themselves,” Coach Gene Morris said. “I’m not disappointed. The result isn’t what we wanted, but it benefi ts us because now they [Mt. Carmel] have to go up against Westview.” This is a good thing for Poway because Westview has a strong soccer team.

The Titans continued on to the semi-fi nals on Dec. 15, which was held at Westview High School. They faced state champions St. Augustine in a close head-to-head game. St. Augustine scored in the fi rst half off of a penalty kick, but Poway tied things up with a goal scored by sophomore Kellen Gallagher. Throughout the game, it was neck-to-neck, with yellow cards being thrown, and fouls being called against both teams.

Defenders Jesse Lentz and Miles Murphy played strongly against the Saints’ quick offense with several amazing headers by Lentz and long-distance kicks from Murphy. The game ended in a tie, which led to a penalty kick shootout to determine which team would proceed to the fi nals. The Titans lost the shootout, but they still played an intense game.

“I think we defi nitely have some work to do with fi nishing. Our offense is a little weak right now because we are down a few players,” senior captain Spencer Orr said. “From here on, I think we might actually have a chance at winning season this year. We know Mt. Carmel is going to be tough, but we can beat them. Westview isn’t that strong, and we know Rancho Bernardo won’t be dangerous, so if we keep working, then who knows what could happen.”

The Varsity rugby team initiated the fi rst game of the season and their fi rst offi cial game as school sport on Dec. 14 at Poway against Stern Math and Science (Stern Mass) school. It was a tough, rainy day but the Titans fi nished on top in their inaugural season game with a 41 to 5 victory.

Rugby became an offi cial school recognized sport this year and currently only consists of a Varsity team made up of mainly of upperclassmen and a few underclassmen. “We had to play with Del Norte,” varsity captain Austin Warczakowski said. Before rugby became an offi cial sport, the now Poway team were made to

travel to Del Norte to play because it was the only school with Rugby as sport in the district.

Rugby consists of the use of an oval ball, almost similar to a football, and team players maneuvering past lines on the fi eld for a “try” which is worth fi ve points.

Poway’s fi rst rugby scrimmages were against Del Norte High and St. Augustine High which also resulted in a win, 32 to 5 against the St. Augustine’s Saints.

“They’re coming together as a team,” varsity Raymond Vitale.

The game started off favoring Stern Mass as they took the ball at the start of the game, but Poway pushed on to overtake the opposing team then leading up to Scrum Half Vincent Vitale scoring Poway’s fi rst offi cial try of the

team’s history. Vitale scored on more try throughout the game.

For some of the team, the game against Stern Mass was their fi rst ever played, and despite the opposing team having more experience, the Titans still managed to outdo the competition with good communication.

“We did everything we had to do. We put it together for it being the fi rst game for a lot of the players,” Warczakowski said.

Notable players there were junior scrum half Austin Warczakowski, who scored 1 try, made a drop goal and 4 conversions; senior Austin Pace, the “eight”, who scored 2 Trys; and junior Jamie Ramal, scoring 1 try for the team.

The next game is away on Dec. 22 against La Costa Canyon.

Boys’ soccer falls short of win against Mt. Carmel

New face in soccer: Ilton de Oliveira ChavesVarsity Boys’ Soccer welcomes new Brazilian player onto the team

KICKIN’ IT: Captain Andrew Savitt kicks the ball straight in to the air (far left). Senior Drake Betdan attempts to maneuver the ball away from his opponent (middle). Senior Spencer Orr kicks the ball back into play (right). jAWAN AQIL // The Iliad