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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 15, 2005 Fisher wins SOC’s top honor Senior midfielder named SOC player of the yea r By Alan Panebaker Ashland Daily Tidings ASHLAND HIGH MIDFIELDER CORY FISHER (6) dribbles the ball upfield during a recent prep soccer game. Fisher was named the Southern Oregon Conference player of the year after helping the Grizzlies claim their second consecutive SOC title. Kara Q. Lewis | Ashland Daily Tidings Tears of disappointment were replaced today by feelings of pride and accomplishment for the Ashland High boys’ soccer team and newly honored Southern Oregon Conference player of the year Cory Fisher. When the Grizzlies quest for a state championship ended in the semifinals Saturday, the seniors who had played their last game were hit the reality of it all being over just two games too soon. Ashland assistant coach Iman Siadat said he was pleased with how far his team made it this season and surprised by the tears he saw in the eyes of many of the seniors at the end of Saturday’s game. “I thought we were destined to be one of the last two teams,” Siadat said. Ashland’s spectacular season didn’t end with a loss however. The team’s final victory was having nine players earn on all-league honors for the Southern Oregon Conference. Fisher was the runaway choice for player of the year. “For coaches, it was the first thing on their minds electing Cory Fisher player of the year,” Ashland head coach Eisa Tiaa Toutou said. Conference coaches dubbed Fisher, Joe Fallon, Rodrigo Ramos and Nico Walker members of the all-league first team. Walker and Fisher were unanimous selections. Cole Bryan, Corey Chandler and Colin Reinstedt made the second team, and conference coaches gave Greg Cross and Alex Murray honorable mention. The only surprise for Toutou was that Murray (one of only three sophomores honored in the league) did not make the first or second team. “Alex (Murray) was the one I thought was going to make big impressions,” Toutou said. “Having guys like Rod (Ramos) and Cory (Fisher) steals the show from guys like Alex.” The player of the year honor helped put the season into perspective for Fisher. “It’s been a good season,” Fisher said. “We had high standards to live up to, and I think we easily met those standards.” Defensive pride The defensive toughness that Ashland showed all year was also honored by the Southern Oregon Conference coaches, with the likes of Bryan, Walker and Cross on the list of all-league players. Siadat noted how it was the defense that brought them as far as they went this season. “They were the unsung heroes of the season,” Siadat said. One Grizzly who missed the cut, to Siadat’s dismay, deserved attention. “Brendan Chapman should have been on the first team in my opinion,” he said. “He was our single hard man in the back. As defensive wing, he really showed passion for that position.” Regardless, Siadat said he was pleased to see so many defenders on the all-league teams. Of course, Walker was an unsurprising unanimous selection for the first team in Siadat’s eyes. But, Walker’s emergence thrilled Siadat, who saw the defender develop a louder and louder voice on the field this year, despite an off-field demeanor that appears modest and shy. “It was a great season,” Walker said. “It was fun. I’ll probably be more in contact with them (coaches) now that I have more free time.” Walker’s right-hand man and second all-league team selection, Cole Bryan, said, “I’m sad it’s over now. I really wanted to go all the way with a great bunch of guys.” The man in the back who only seems to get recognized by a great save or a great miss — keeper Greg Cross — said he hopes to take the skills he has learned in Ashland to potentially play at a higher level. But for now, he — like his teammates — is still in the midst of accepting that things have finally come to an end. “It wasn’t exactly perfect,” Cross said. “But on the other hand it was an awesome season. We had an amazing run. It’s amazing we got as far as we did in the playoffs. It’s a hard let down to know soccer’s over, and this is the last time I’ll play (for Ashland).” Where to next? There were more silver lining’s in this weekend’s playoff loss. College scouts were on hand to evaluate Walker and Fisher’s play Saturday against Southridge High. All-league recognition, especially in Fisher’s case as player of the year, helped create opportunities to play for a larger, better college. “Those two guys will have a great opportunity to make an impact,” Toutou said. Walker plans on playing at the next level, he said, but “I haven’t really narrowed it down yet (to which college).” Other teammates are also looking on to college and hopefully more seasons of competitive soccer. Fallon said he is looking into playing for Simon Fraser University in Canada or staying in state and not playing college ball. Colin Reinstedt is starting basketball season in two days and thinks he has a better chance of playing that sport in college that soccer. For Fisher, the best days of soccer may still be yet to come. He is looking into Oregon college soccer programs. Alan Panebaker is a correspondent for the Ashland Daily Tidings. To comment on this article, contact Sports Editor Joe Zavala at 482-3456 ext. 3020 or [email protected]. 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