Deja vu at Pilot Cup

Barry Faulkner

The addition of 30 teams and a silver division did nothing to disturb

the gold standard maintained by repeat winners in four

classifications of the fifth annual Daily Pilot Cup youth soccer

tournament that concluded Sunday.

Rea Elementary School won its fourth straight crown in the boys

fifth- and sixth-grade gold division competition, downing Kaiser,

11-0, in Sunday’s title game at the Costa Mesa Sports Farm Complex.

Rea forward Juan Gonzalez, a sixth-grader, scored six times in the

title match and amassed 19 goals in the Sharks’ five tournament

games.

The girls fifth- and sixth-grade gold division final was won by

Carden Hall for the second straight year. The Eagles defeated

Andersen, 4-1, in the championship game.

Andersen claimed its third straight girls third- and fourth-grade

crown on penalty kicks, 3-1, after its gold division final with

Kaiser ended in a 1-1 regulation tie.

And Mariners Christian defeated Adams, 6-1, in the boys third- and

fourth-grade gold division final to repeat as champion.

Timmy Root scored three goals for Mariners Christian.

A field expanded from 96 teams in 2003 to 126 this year, prompted

tournament director Kirk McIntosh to create two divisions. The

stronger teams, the rosters of which included club and AYSO players,

competed in the gold division. Other teams, including an additional

team from some schools, competed in the silver division.

The tournament, which had been contested over five days its first

four years, spanned six days this time around.

Silver division titles were also won Sunday.

Mariners defeated Kaiser, 4-1, in the boys fifth- and sixth-grade

silver division final.

Newport triumphed, 2-1, over Adams in the girls fifth- and

sixth-grade silver division championship game.

Carden Hall and Pomona played to a 3-3 tie in the boys third- and

fourth-grade championship game, but Carden Hall won on penalty kicks,

4-2.

And the girls third- and fourth-grade silver division crown went

to Andersen, which defeated Rea.

* BARRY FAULKNER is a Daily Pilot sports reporter. He can be

reached at (949) 574-4227 or by e-mail at [email protected].