Pilot Cup: Davis Ducks making noise
Davis Magnet School has never won a championship at the Daily Pilot Cup youth soccer tournament, but that streak seems sure to fall soon if the amount of spirit shown at Jack Hammett Sports Complex on Saturday is any indication.
The Ducks’ fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division boys’ and girls’ teams both played on field No. 1 in back-to-back games. The girls showed up early to watch the boys in action.
Another interested onlooker was Davis Principal Christy Flores, who carefully held her baby daughter of nearly five months, Isabelle.
“It just builds a lot of school spirit,” Flores said of the tournament, which Davis has participated in since reopening as a magnet school in 2009.
The fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division boys just might have what it takes to end that championship drought.
They blitzed Kaiser, 7-3, to win Pool D and advance to the semifinals. Davis will play Mariners in a semifinal game at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Whittier plays Mariners Christian in the other semifinal. The championship match is scheduled for 3 p.m., also at “Farm” field No. 1.
Edwin Ramirez, Taylor Demarais and Ethan Ervey each scored twice for Davis against Kaiser. The other goal was headed in by Trevor Trepas in the first half, off a corner kick from Dylan Oliver.
“That would be the best feeling,” Demarais said of possibly winning the tournament. “ I honestly would probably cry with tears of joy. This is our last year and last memories [for this tournament], so it would be nice to go to middle school knowing that we won the Pilot Cup the last year.
Forwards Ramirez, Demarais and Ervey, along with center midfielder Trepas, were consistent playmakers for Davis, which took the lead two minutes into the game when Ramirez scored on a beautiful through ball from Demarais. But much of the rest of the first half was frustrating for Davis.
The Ducks missed a penalty kick, then nearly scored again. But, with the Kaiser goalie out, defender Van Freund made a standout play to boot the ball out of danger. Ervey then had a shot from near the top of the box that clanged off the crossbar.
But Davis would indeed add to its lead later in the half, when Ramirez crossed the ball to Demarais for a goal. Demarais now has seven goals in the Ducks’ three games.
Kaiser got goals from Grant Karrins, Ben Roberts and Nolan Schupak. Roberts scored a rebound goal midway through the second half, and Schupak added a score on a free kick into the right corner to cut the Davis lead to 5-3.
Davis, though, added another goal from Demarais and a penalty kick from Ramirez just before the final whistle to produce the final score. The high-powered Davis attack, which beat Andersen 5-1 and Pomona 5-0 earlier in the tournament, has now scored 17 goals in three games.
“We knew we had to play better than we played both of those [first two] games to beat [Kaiser], and we played well,” Oliver said.
Davis certainly appears hungry to win. The team is made up of seventh fifth-graders and seven sixth-graders, Coach Keith Frainie said. The fifth-graders showed well last year, advancing to the semifinals of the third- and fourth-grade Gold Division before losing to eventual champion Mariners Christian in penalty kicks.
“We have a good group,” said Frainie, who coaches Davis along with Chris Ervey. “We have seven club players on the team and seven [AYSO] Extra players ... I’m just really proud of them. They’re really playing as a team.”
Goalie Zach Fletcher was a standout for Davis, making three saves, including one on a penalty kick, while Miles Frainie, Owen Beaver, Cooper Steck and Ben Ervey also shored up the defense. Trepas, Oliver and John Casey were standout midfielders while Nolen Alonso, Rider Jackson and Nils-Henrik Fuertes also contributed.
Other contributors for Kaiser included Ian Herron, Maverick Kontra, Trevor Muir, Nick Christiano, Julio Perez, Paul Jensen, Wade Tankersley and Lucas Caceres. Dominic Crane and Colin DeBarba combined to make six saves in goal.
“I’d be surprised if they’re not in the finals,” said Kaiser Coach Greg Kontra, who also commended his team’s ability to battle back, of Davis. “They’ve got a good group of boys. They can be physical if they want to, but they can move the ball on the ground and play appropriate soccer as well. “
