Boys soccer: Sailors starting over

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - Under the direction of first-year coach Kevin

Esparza and the addition of senior Tyson Wahl, the Newport Harbor High

boys soccer team is prepared to make a run for the CIF playoffs, or at

least build tradition.

Building a winning tradition is Esparza’s main concern. It’s the main

reason he took the job.

“It’s a good situation for me to start coaching here,” said Esparza,

who, while coaching at Orange High, helped guide the Panthers to a CIF

Southern Section Division II title in 1996. “We have a lot of good

seniors. We also have some fantastic juniors, sophomores and freshmen. I

think with some direction and organization, it will be a good match.

We’ll be able to build.”

Esparza, who also coaches the boys under-15s in the Olympic

Development Program, takes over for Matty West, whose team last year

finished in a third-place tie with Irvine in the Sea View League with a

4-6-6, 2-3-3 in league record, without a playoff berth.

Two seniors who are sure to help Esparza lay the foundation are Wahl

and Kevin Campos.

Wahl, the team captain, spent the past year training with the under-17

national team.

“He’s one of the best players in the country,” Esparza said. “We have

some good role players and some good underclassmen, but Tyson is huge.

Any time you can have a player like that in your program, it makes things

a lot easier for you.”

Campos returns after earning second-team All-Sea View laurels last

year. He’s the only player returning with honors, as the Sailors have

lost four such players to graduation, including Trey Meek, who’s now with

Indiana University, and Duke Burchell, a first-team all-league selection.

Sophomore goalkeeper Hector Campos is one of three Sailors, who will

try to fill in at the net for the departed Burchell.

The fantastic juniors Esparza spoke of include Roman Zaccuri, Jose

Serpas, Marco Camberos and Ryan Underwood.

“The year so far, I couldn’t ask anything more from the guys, but a

couple more goals would be nice,” Esparza said of his 1-1 team. “But the guys have worked hard on all levels.”

Along with Wahl and Kevin Campos, the Sailors will depend on a strong

senior class to get them into the postseason. Seniors Gary Grimes, Tyler

Curtis, Noe Perez, Joshua Butman, Davis Carr, Brandon Gould and Redge

Bendheim will lead by example, Esparza said. They will influence the

future, the juniors and the underclassmen, including freshman David

Manchester.

“We have a lot of work to do, not only with the varsity team but with

the whole program,” Esparza said. “It’s been very busy. We practice and

then I usually head over and watch the junior varsity and frosh-soph

train and keep an eye on them. We’re trying to build a little bit of

tradition here.”

NEWPORT HARBOR HIGH BOYS SOCCER

Hector Campos So.

R. Clark Fonda, jr. Jr.

Ryan Schultheis Sr.

Gary W. Grimes II Sr.

Joel Walker So.

Roman Zaccuri Jr.

Jose Serpas Jr.

Tyler Curtis Sr.

Noe Perez Sr.

Joshua Butman Sr.

Marco Camberos Jr.

Matt Tracy So.

Tyson Wahl Sr.

Kevin Campos Sr.

Ryan Underwood Jr.

Michael Gustafson So.

Will Guzman So.

Davis Carr Sr.

Skyler Taugher So.

Brandon Gould Sr.

Redge Bendheim Sr.

David Manchester Fr.

Joel Furman Sr.

Dave Hernandez Sr.

Coach: Kevin Esparza