Santa Fe Corner

The Santa Fe Corner is back for another season as try outs have started today.

There was a good turn out for two days this morning including about 20 Freshman. I don't know how coach Nick Miller is going to handle the big influx of new blood above and beyond the varsity squad where there appears to be perhaps a few spots up for grabs. Will there also be a junior varsity team or perhaps an All-Freshmen team as well?

The varsity squad has lost eight seniors from last year, namely Alan Snyder, Reid Monyhan, Abhay Kharuna, Zack Jackson, Nila Guzman, Govi Allin, Jaggy Rivera and Qwitty Nicoloff. We will miss them and wish them well. Hopefully some will show up for a few games this season.

Although the team started fast and performed admirably last year, they faded in the middle of the season and bowed out of the districts early to a Middleburg team they beat twice during the regular season. Give all the credit to Middleburg who stepped up when it really counted. This year Santa Fe aims for defending District Champion Ridgeview in hopes of taking the crown from them. The district playoffs will be held at Santa Fe High School for the first time in five years.

This year my policy will be not to respond to the few antagonizers that appear on this site with malice and ill will. They will be treated just as those do who run onto fields seeking attention during sporting contests, with due neglect. I also ask those who want to participate intelligently on this forum to do the same. This is a thread for those interested in the Santa Fe Raider's soccer journey this year, for better or worse. Many of the Raiders go into this season with high hopes. Time will tell what they will be able to accomplish. As long as they put their best effort forward and show due respect to their opponents, coaches, referees and fans, it will be a successful season no matter the results.

[gargs]

On Tuesday Coach Miller cut 5 players. It looks like he has decided to go with a a varsity squad of about 18 and a JV squad of about 19. It also looks like some upper classmen, who probably won't be able to help the varsity squad this year, will be let go.

Among the players to watch this year are Syami Erving and Shyam Allard. Both were named to the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-State team as juniors last year and are fellow team mates on the club team Leg-A-Z Caimans, who have made the Final Four in State Cup each of the last two years. Another player to watch is newcomer Thakura, a senior from Brazil who has lived in the U.S. for the last two years. All three of these players have exceptional ball skills and should cause many teams to run around a lot this season. Joey O'Brien, who has played several years for G.S.A., is a senior as well this year, and should be a potent scorer from the forward position. Big time hustle guy Nitai Deniz is another returning senior who should make an impact on the squad.

This year could be a breakout season for sophmore Naveen Allin, who is expected to make the varsity squad for the first time this year. He is a guy with good skills, lots of speed and an intense fervor for the game. Junior Mathura Rico is back after missing his sophmore season with torn ligaments. He has rehabbed from his surgery for a better part of the year and all indications are he will return with the high energy that he exhibted as a freshman starter. Rico is capable of causing nightmares to a team's best offensive weapon.

Other returning upper classmen include Austin Bishop and D.D. Knighten. Both Adam Palpan and Quintan Polly have spent time on varsity before and hope to make the squad this year and contribute. Several other players appear on the bubble, some who have the potential to make their mark as well. We will talk more about them after final cuts are made.

Right now the goalie job is Caitanya Farmer's to lose. Several candidates have and will be tried to offer competition and a possible alternative at the important goalie spot.

[gargs]

So, today two-a-days ended. After the afternoon session Coach Miller called each player up one by one to discuss their progress and status with the team. Two seniors were cut.

Monday morning is make up time for any players who had to miss any part of the first week of practice.

The first game of the regular season is Saturday, November 10.

Santa Fe will play two preseason games on November 3 as part of the Keystone Classic.

The '07-'08 isn't posted on the web site yet, nor is the roster.

[gargs]

The '07-'08 isn't posted on the web site yet, nor is the roster.

Yeah, I've noticed that. I'll talk to the coach and see what can be done. I know that the schedule is still a bit tentaitve and all the varsity roster has yet to be announced, though.

[gargs]

Practice resumed this week with the news of Syami Erving's injury while playing in the R3PL for Leg-A-Z last weekend. He hyper-extended his knee and got an MRI on Monday to check for possible structural damage. Hopefully, the MRI will clear him to play soon. Syami is a very important part of the Raiders hopes this year. The team is crossing their fingers that they will get good news today or tomorrow.

[gargs]

Good news from the doctor's office this morning as Syami Erving has been diagnosed with a simple bruise on the side of his knee. He should be back on the field in about a week or so.

Other than that, everything has been going relatively smoothly. One player got a 2 game suspension for missing practice.

The Raiders have talent. Time will tell whether they will have the mental toughness this year to become a real factor in their District and beyond.

[gargs]

Santa Fe opens their regular season at Hawthorne at 6 pm tomorrow (Thursday, November 8).

Last Saturday they split two games at the Keystone Preseason Classic, losing 4-2 to Mantazas in the first game and winning 3-1 vs. Mount Dora in the second game. The major difference between the two games were the non-presence of Syami Erving and Shyam Allard due to SATs in the first game and their appearance in the second game.

In the first game Quintan Polly and Josh DeGrow connected with goals. In the second game Joey O'Brien, Shyam Allard and Alex Wigglesworth all scored. Syami Erving recorded 3 assists.

Why does Santa Fe play Hawthorne? They need to find better competion

[gargs]

Why does Santa Fe play Hawthorne? They need to find better competion

Lack of games is probably the primary reason. We have tried to schedule GHS, Oak Hall, and another game with Eastside but haven't been able to add games. If anyone wants to play us please step forward.

Originally, Hawthorne was not on the schedule. Hawthorne had only about 8 games on the schedule and Santa Fe had 15, so they agreed to play each other twice.

Santa Fe wants more games. We're willing to play anyone (preferably strong teams) if the dates work for both teams. Right now we're working on geting a game or two with Bucholz.

what class is Sante Fe?

haha. that kid's last name is wigglesworth.

[gargs]

Santa Fe is Class 4a and share their distrcit with Middleburg, Ridgeview and Suwannee. They play in Alachua County, close to all the Gainesville teams.

[gargs]

Santa Fe- 8
Hawthorne - 0

The Raiders cruised to an easy victory in a game in which Coach Nick Miller had his boys take it easy on a developing Hawthorne team last night. After the score was 4-0 mid way through the first half Coach Miller put the brakes on and the kids basically played keep-away until the mercy rule was invoked with a little over 10 minutes to play in the game.

The scoring was as follows:

Shyam Allard 2 goals, 2 assists
Syami Erving 2 goals, 1 assist
John Anderson 1 goal, 1 assist
Quentin Polly 1 goal
Josh DeGrove 1 goal
Alex Wigglesworth 1 goal

Goalie Caitanya Farmer has a couple of saves on a couple of chances.


It was not a competitive game but Hawthorne is a developing program with only a small number of games on their schedule. As Santa Fe also needed more games to play, this contest took place.

Next game for Santa Fe is vs. Ridgeview at home. Starting time is 2 pm.

You are being too nice Gargs. Hawthorne is terrible