Hawthorne Press Tribune
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - March 22, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................4
Classifieds............................3
Entertainment......................2
Food.......................................5
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Legals............................. 3,6,7
Pets........................................4
Politically Speaking............5
Finance..................................7
Weekend
Forecast
Soccer Success for Hawthorne!
The Hawthorne Sarabia Jr.’s U14 AYSO team poses after an incredible run that culminated in a second place finish in the Western States Tournament. See article below for more details. Back Row (L-R):
Assistant Coach Carlos Rodriguez, #5 Christian Gonzalez, #6 Jacob Wallis, #10 Michael Herrera, #15 Angel Pedroza, #7 Aaron Rodriguez, #4 Hassel Vazquez, #16 Brandon Corona, #14 Joey Nieves, #17
Chris Caceros, #9 Axel Martin. Front Row (L-R): #11 Diego Gonzalez, Coach Victor Amezcua, #12 Erick Guillen, #13 Jacob Salcedo. (Photo Provided by Marina Wallis).
U14 AYSO Team Wins Second
Place in Western States Tourney
The Hawthorne U14 (ages 12 and 13)
AYSO team known as the Sarabia Jr.’s
wrapped up a memorable season this past
weekend up in Bakersfield. The boys won
second place out of all the AYSO teams in
their age division in the four Western States
encompassing California, Oregon, Washington
and Nevada. Hawthorne, the Section 1
champion, defeated Hillsborough (Section 2)
to reach the final against East LA (Section
11). East LA ultimately took home the title
on March 17.
Before reaching Bakersfield, the Hawthorne
squad posted an amazing 25 consecutive
victories. The AYSO regular season ran
from September through December, as the
team competed against other U14 lineups
in the local community to become the
Region 21 winner. The boys next captured
the Area 1D title as the best of 30 beach
cities teams and then moved on to the Section
1 tournament that featured dozens of top
teams from 11 different areas. Hawthorne
emerged from that group to reach the Western
States Tournament.
On March 15, Hawthorne Mayor Alex
Vargas spoke to the team members at a gettogether
at Tony’s Pizza. The gathering was
a celebration of all the victories up to that
point and also an opportunity to rally together
in anticipation of the upcoming Bakersfield
competition. The mayor presented the players
with a framed proclamation and cheered
them on, noting that he was proud of all
of them for their accomplishments. Vargas
wished them well and said he was excited
that they were representing Hawthorne in
the Western States championship.
A good portion of the team’s success can
be attributed to its coach, Victor Amezcua. At
the beginning of the season, he shared with
the players and parents that he is in remission
from skin cancer and still goes in for tests
and treatment. “His ordeal with cancer has
given him a deep desire to spend his time
doing good in our community,” said Marina
Wallis, whose son Jacob plays on the team.
“He is an extremely dedicated coach and
has poured his heart and soul into training
these boys through this incredible season of
victory after victory.”
The team derived its name from the town in
Mexico where Amezcua was raised. Francisco
Sarabia was a famed pioneer in Mexican
aviation. The moniker took on some related
significance for the coach, as his players
reached unforeseen new heights in soccer. •
Friday
Mostly
Sunny
61˚/51˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
60˚/52˚
Sunday
Partly
Cloudy
59˚/49˚
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne