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Klamath Union dominates boys all-stars By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune In a boys soccer season to remember at Klamath Union, the Pelicans rolled to the Southern Oregon Conference crown and won 14 straight games to advance to their first Class 4A state finals appearance. On the heels of its dominant SOC campaign - during which it went 7-0 and outscored the competition 21-1 to earn its first conference title since 1992 - KU fittingly swept the postseason awards. Senior forward Luis Garcia is the SOC player of the year, and first-year head coach Marty Ledgerwood is the top coach, as voted recently by his peers. Garcia, who also earned first-team all-SOC nods as a junior and sophomore and was honorable mention as a freshman, scored 16 goals and added 11 assists this fall. "His ability to do whatever our team needed him to do (made him the MVP)," Ledgerwood says. "Even if he didn't score, he was assisting on goals and creating havoc." Even though he was named first-team all-state last year, Garcia had room for improvement this fall in areas like leadership, consistency and keeping his cool. "I called him the head of the monster," Ledgerwood says. "When he had his head up, we were at our best. We tried to make sure he leveled out his play this season, and he did that." Ledgerwood, who played on the 1992 Pelicans squad that had been the last to rule the SOC, built successfully on a foundation that included 10 seniors and the experience of advancing to the 2000 state semifinals. He says a defense that recorded 12 shutouts - including four straight in the playoffs before a 5-0 loss to Jesuit in the championship - was key to KU's success. "We knew that if we could play better defense, the offense would score goals," Ledgerwood says. "Until the final against Jesuit, we hadn't been shut out in, like, two-and-a-half years." Three other Pelicans join Garcia on the all-SOC first team. They are senior midfielders Krister Balme and Adam Wendt and senior fullback Jeff Teach. Filling out the first-team selections are three Ashland players, two each from South Medford, North Medford and Roseburg and one from Grants Pass. Grizzlies senior forward Scott Beaver is a first-team performer for the second straight fall. Teammates Matt Sharp, a junior midfielder, and Alex Christlieb, a junior fullback, are Ashland's other standouts. The Panthers are represented by senior forward Pat Lower, also a repeat selection, and senior fullback Cody George. For the Black Tornado, senior midfielder Dan Torrey and senior fullback Ben Clark earned first-team recognition. Senior midfielder Joshua Carlson and junior fullback David McLaughlin represent Roseburg, while senior Matt Lamont of Grants Pass is the first-team goalkeeper for the third time in his prep career. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] 2001 Boys Soccer SOC All-Stars First Team Forward - Scott Beaver, Ashland, Sr. Forward - Luis Garcia, Klamath Union, Sr. Forward - Pat Lower, South Medford, Sr. Midfielder - Krister Balme, Klamath Union, Sr. Midfielder - Joshua Carlson, Roseburg, Sr. Midfielder - Matt Sharp, Ashland, Jr. Midfielder - Dan Torrey, North Medford, Sr. Midfielder - Adam Wendt, Klamath Union, Sr. Defender - Alex Christlieb, Ashland, Jr. Defender - Ben Clark, North Medford, Sr. Defender - Cody George, South Medford, Sr. Defender - David McLaughlin, Roseburg, Jr. Defender - Jeff Teach, Klamath Union, Sr. Goalkeeper - Matt Lamont, Grants Pass, Sr. Player of the Year - Luis Garcia, Klamath Union Coach of the Year - Marty Ledgerwood, Klamath Union Second Team Forward - Jesse Hodges, Ashland, Sr. Forward - Evan McArthur, North Medford, Sr. Forward - Brant Minor, Grants Pass, Sr. Midfielder - Erik Baker, Crater, Sr. Midfielder - Travis Baker, Klamath Union, Sr. Midfielder - Fletcher Beaudoin, Ashland, Jr. Midfielder - Sten Erickson, Grants Pass, Jr. Midfielder - Jon McCollum, South Medford, Sr. Defender - Justin Bilodeau, North Medford, Sr. Defender - Nick Caleb, Klamath Union, Sr. Defender - Matt Rensi, Crater, Sr. Defender - Mike Rising, Roseburg, Sr. Defender - Adam Walport, South Medford, Sr. Goalkeeper - Joshua Dunn, Ashland, Jr. Goalkeeper - Phil VanBuren, Klamath Union, Sr. Honorable Mention Forward - Justin Baldoni, South Medford, Sr.; Ian Norgan, North Medford, So.; Todd Sesock, Crater, Jr. Midfielder - Daniel Hathaway, South Medford, Jr.; Jason Licato, Crater, Sr.; Eric Matteson, Eagle Point, Sr.; Daniel Potter, South Medford, Jr.; Ryan Wallenberg, South Medford, Jr.; Stewart Wetmore, Roseburg, Sr. Defender - Zach Fogelquist, Grants Pass, Sr.; Jacob VanAusdal, Ashland, Jr. Goalkeeper - Blake St. Onge, South Medford, Sr. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.