Calling the Shots:

There have been many memories created throughout the Daily Pilot Cup, which is in its 10th year. I should know, I’m working my eighth one.

But something happened on the opening day, Tuesday, that I will never forget. There was a player illegally competing for Our Lady Queen of Angels against Rea in a girls’ third- and fourth-grade silver division game.

Now, I’m not one to point the finger of a wrong doing, but I would feel irresponsible if I didn’t report the truth, even if it does deal with youth sports. Call this a retraction of sorts, because I was the one who wrote how great Our Lady Queen of Angels played and I was the one who typed in, “Superstar,” next to the name Haley Hopkins in a photo caption that ran in Wednesday’s edition.

But Hopkins, you see, was not supposed to be playing against the Sharks. She played just the second half, but scored three goals in the Angels’ 6-4 win. She also played for the Angels’ gold division team.

Daily Pilot Cup Director Kirk McIntosh caught the violation Wednesday morning when he saw Haley’s picture in the paper. McIntosh was the referee for the gold division game that Haley played in. McIntosh had no choice other than to suspend the coach, David Hopkins, Haley’s father, from the Pilot Cup. McIntosh also awarded the win to Rea, which rallied from a 3-0 deficit and tied it up, 4-4, only to see Haley score the game’s final two goals.

There is some irony at work here. At least in Ryan Baker’s eyes. He’s the Daily Pilot Cup coordinator at Rea, where he teaches and also coaches the boys’ fifth- and sixth-grade gold division team.

Yes, that’s the same Rea team that won the championship last year. It’s those same Sharks who have won seven of the nine Daily Pilot Cup titles in the gold division among boys’ fifth- and sixth graders.

And it’s the same Sharks who have been accused of cheating on more than one occasion.

In fact, they were accused of cheating Tuesday, Baker said.

Someone told McIntosh Rea was using a goalie who didn’t attend the Costa Mesa elementary school.

“I guess someone said the kid played in Anaheim,” Baker said. “I’m his teacher so I know that’s not true ... I let it be known to the parent who accused me, I said, ‘I guess if you can’t beat us, you just call us cheaters.’ ”

Last year, Baker said, the Sharks were accused of using a player who was in high school. Baker laughs about it now, saying the accused person was a coach.

“For years we’ve been told we stack our roster because we win every year,” Baker said. “It’s kind of ironic.”

Baker also said he was shocked about the OLQA incident against the Rea girls. But he was pleased the Sharks were awarded the win. Rea had a first-grader and a second-grader, playing up on the team, Baker said.

Baker was at the game and saw Haley score three goals in the second half, which made him suspicious. He then heard Wednesday about the actions McIntosh took.

 Baker said there are 200 Rea students playing for the Sharks this year. He coordinated the teams, 13 of them, holding tryouts and putting the players on different teams. There have been times when the Sharks also committed violations, but he reported them right away, he said. Four years ago, a Rea girls’ team had a similar situation to the Angels’.

 There are other Cup memories for me. Two years ago when former NBA player Michael Cage was an official for a game. There was also the time NFL referee Laird Hayes officiated a Cup game.