Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week: Falasco setting the trend for Estancia
Samantha Falasco is used to taking instructions on the pitch for the Estancia High girls’ soccer team.
When it comes to practice, though, Falasco makes sure that Coach Jessica Perry knows her opinion on other important matters.
“She’s the girl who will say, ‘Coach, I like your shoes,’” Perry said with a laugh. “Or, ‘Why did you do your hair that way?’ She’s very honest with me regarding fashion and accessorizing. It’s ‘I don’t like the color of those running shoes,’ or ‘Oh, those are great jeans.’”
Falasco said she learned her sense of fashion from senior twin teammates and close friends Caitlin and Sarah Leahy. The Leahy sisters were also a big reason why, prior to Falasco’s freshman year, she decided to go to Estancia. Falasco lives in the Newport Harbor zone, but took advantage of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s open enrollment policy.
“I knew more people coming to Estancia than Newport,” Falasco said.
Perry is certainly glad her junior center fullback made that decision. Falasco is now a three-year starter at the position, and a key piece to an Eagles side that is off to its best start in Perry’s seven-year tenure.
Estancia (12-2-2, 1-0-1 in league) is ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division 5. The Eagles were successful in both of their preseason tournaments, making the Best in the West tournament “EFGH” Division title game and going 3-1 at the North Orange County Classic.
At both tournaments, Perry fielded questions about the girl in jersey No. 2 on defense. Who is she? What grade is she in? Where is she going to college?
Falasco has verbally committed to the University of Maryland, which means that she’s the second NCAA Division 1 commit on the Eagles’ roster. Senior midfielder Alba Barrios has committed to Cal State Fullerton.
Falasco makes quite an impression despite her humble nature and modest 5-foot-6 height.
“She makes her presence known,” Perry said. “But what I appreciate about her, and I think the other coaches do as well, is that it’s not in a flashy way. She just gets her job done. But she does it with such ease at certain points that it’s easy to notice. She keeps a level head. If you don’t know her, you have no idea that she’s frustrated ... She plays with a maturity that you don’t see all the time.”
Part of it comes from experience. Falasco, the second-youngest of six siblings, joined a local AYSO team at age 4. Three years later, she started playing club for Newport Beach-based Slammers FC, for which she’s currently a member of the Under-17 team with both of the Leahy sisters.
Caitlin Leahy is the Eagles’ goalkeeper, while Sarah plays in the midfield. Falasco and Caitlin Leahy, especially, have a certain synergy on defense for the Eagles, who have 13 shutouts in their 16 games. Estancia has allowed just seven goals all season, three of those in a loss to Mira Costa, ranked No. 3 in Division 2.
“I know I’m doing my job, and so is the team,” Falasco said. “We’ve done very well so far. There’s not any drama at all. We’re all super close. We all want to work hard, and we all want to be here ... It’s a lot more fun.”
Falasco is a threat anywhere on the field. She’ll often dribble the ball all the way up the field, creating a scoring attempt for herself or a teammate. She has seven goals this season, ranking her second on the team behind senior forward Alondra Guzman.
Falasco said she enjoys the freedom of her high school role. She’s more of a strict defender with the Slammers, whom she helped qualify for the Elite Clubs National League championships in Virginia last summer.
Now she’s trying to lead the Eagles, who won the Orange Coast League in Falasco’s freshman year before finishing second to Laguna Beach last season.
Estancia played Calvary Chapel, ranked No. 5 in Division 5, to a scoreless tie Tuesday before blasting rival Costa Mesa on Thursday. Estancia next plays host to Laguna Beach on Tuesday.
“I think it’s going to be a good season,” Falasco said. “Hopefully we do well. [Playing against Laguna Beach] is always a really good game to see. [The Breakers are] definitely a rival. It’s always very physical, always a fun game.”
Falasco certainly knows how to have fun, even if it means giving fashion advice to Perry, who at 31 is 14 years her elder.
“Freshman year, she was very shy and reserved,” Perry said. “Sophomore year, I was like ‘Wwho is this girl?’ She busted out of her shell.
“I’ll show up to practice and Samantha will tell me, ‘I don’t like your hair like that. It looks better like this.’ Then I’ll change it and she’ll be like, ‘Oh, that’s so cute.’”
Coach and player share a laugh, knowing they have plenty to enjoy this year.
Twitter: @mjszabo
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Samantha Falasco
Born: Oct. 16, 1997
Hometown: Newport Beach
Height: 5-foot-6
Sport: Soccer
Year: Junior
Coach: Jessica Perry
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite movie: “A Walk to Remember”
Favorite athletic moment: Getting the assist when Estancia beat Calvary Chapel, 1-0, to clinch the Orange Coast League title in 2013.
Week in review: Falasco’s defense helped the Eagles defeat Los Amigos, 1-0, in a nonleague game Jan. 8, Estancia’s 11th shutout of the season.
