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Local flavor Southern Oregon Fuego has many familiar faces as it prepares for its annual match against all-stars By JOE ZAVALA for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — When Rogue Valley soccer fans sit down to watch the Southern Oregon Fuego tonight at Walter A. Phillips Field, there will be less glancing at programs and more soccer gazing. That’s because more than half of the team’s 21-player roster consists of local players, including a handful of former and current area high school stars looking to fine tune their skills in preparation for the next level. It’s all part of Fuego’s effort to mine what is seen as a rich quarry of local talent, with an ultimate goal that’s two-fold: increase attendance and, of course, win. "Now, we’re recruiting the top high school stars from most of the high schools in the (Southern Oregon Conference)," said Iman Siadat, one of the team’s co-founders who doubles as a Fuego midfielder. "They’re looking to play college and possibly beyond, and they realize that they can do that, with Fuego playing higher caliber teams outside the area. Fuego presents a platform and a stage for the youth of Southern Oregon to play in front of a large crowd and to prepare for that higher level." The Fuego hopes to play at a high level tonight, when it takes on the La Liga Del Valle all-stars in the fifth-annual meeting between the two teams (the Fuego has won three of those). Advertisement Seven of the team’s 11 area players hail from Ashland, including three — Cory Fisher, Nico Walker and Alex Murray — who were all-SOC first-teamers in 2006. The other Rogue Valley players on Fuego’s roster are Devon and Dan Torrey of Medford, David Peterson of Talent and Todd Seasock of Central Point. Fisher, the SOC player of the year last season, may start tonight after seeing limited playing time in the Fuego’s exhibition opener two weeks ago. In that May 28 match, the first of six exhibitions Fuego is expected to host this summer, the team dominated from start to finish en route to a 3-1 win over Southwestern Oregon Community College. Fisher, who graduated Friday and will try to walk on at Oregon State University in the fall, says he’s still adjusting to the speed of post-high school soccer after running circles around most of the prep defenses he played against at Ashland High. "The experience was good — it’s good to figure out how fast people play on other teams," he said during a break in Thursday night’s practice at Phillips Field. "It’s a lot more physical, much faster playing, so you have to make decisions a lot quicker. It makes it really competitive, and that’s what I’m here for." The Fuego, long referred to as "an aspiring semipro soccer team," shed that label late last year when it joined the Premier Arena Soccer League. Playing its home games in Klamath Falls, Fuego made the playoffs before losing in the first round. Playing against teams from Tacoma, Wash., Seattle, Chico, Calif., and Bend was a step in the right direction, but there are bigger plans on the horizon. According to Siadat, the Fuego next year will attempt to join the National Premier Soccer League, an outdoor league. Despite the high hurdles that lie ahead, Siadat is trying to stay optimistic. "It really comes down to finances," he said. "The budget to run the team for that season is $50,000. It’s tough. "Fuego needs more manpower behind the scenes to make that happen. The people we have are loyal and strong, but we need strength in numbers." Numbers should be in the Fuego’s favor against the La Liga Del Valle all-stars, which will field the best players in the Rogue Valley league not on the Fuego’s roster. Fuego will be led by second-year head coach Kevin Primerano, who believes his team should be able to dictate the pace of the game with its superior depth. "This is always a big rivalry for us in the area, and the biggest thing I’m looking for — and I’m seeing it in practice right now — is high energy out of our team, and to play a good fast, controlled game on our terms." Joe Zavala is sports editor of the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s