All Youth Raiders Football & Cheer photos courtesy of Crystal Gurrola.
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All Youth Raiders Football & Cheer photos courtesy of Crystal Gurrola.

On Friday, September 8th Fillmore's Cross Country teams competed at the Rosemead Invitational. The course is fairly flat with many turns, a few hills, and 50 % grass. Eight races were contested, four at each grade level for both boys and girls.

The first race of the day featured the freshman girls. For the second race in a row, they were led by Isabela De La Cruz who finished in 72nd place in 25:02.5, followed by Liliana Felix 112th in 27:34.2, and Aliyah Heredia 117th in 27:48.2.

The freshman boys team had the top team finish of the day. They finished in second place overall, two points out of first. They were led by Rey Laureano, who finished in second place in an excellent 17:17.1. He was supported by outstanding running from Jesse De La Cruz 10th in 18:13.4, Fabian Del Villar 12th in 18:25.8, Matthew Munoz 28th in 19:05.5, David Bustos 92nd in 21:18.4 and Erick Gutierrez 131st in 22:44. The top 4 individuals in this race were also medal winners, and the team won a second place plaque.

The sophomore girls performed very well with all 3 finishing in the top 24 and medaling. Top finisher was Vanessa Avila in 6th place running a swift 20:12.2. She was followed by a much improved Giselle Perez 15th in 20:51.9, and Nicole Gonzalez 24th in 21:40.7.

The Sophomore boys finished in 8th place in the team competition. The best time in this division was turned in by newcomer Davis Flores. Davis ran an excellent 17:39.6 and finished in 11th. He was followed by Jesse Martinez 20th in 17:58.9, Alexander Manzo 35th in 18:46.5, Andrew Otineru 74th in 19:43.9, and Samuel Kafka 137th in 21:14.4. The top three runners were awarded medals for their top performances.

The junior girls team finished in 7th place in the team competition. They were led by Fillmore’s lone Division Champion Carissa Rodriguez who claimed 1st place in a race of 183 competitors. Her finish time was an impressive 18:44.4. Carissa was awarded a coveted 1st place champion trophy for her fine effort. Diana Perez also ran well finishing in 7th place, posting a time of 19:30.5. She was followed by Cecilia Cisneros 44th in 21:45.1, Emma Orozco 58th in 22:31.7, and Marisol Ramos 158th in 28:33.7. Four of these competitors were medal recipients.

The junior boys ran well enough to finish in 7th place as a team. The top three individuals in this race won medals. They were led by Sergio Perez who finished in 7th place running a season best of 16:56.9. He was followed by Antonio Villalobos 50th in 18:43.1, Alex Recancoj 52nd in 18:43.5, Joseph Magdaleno 88th in 19:43.2, Luis Leon 120th in 20:42.3, Daniel Cruz 124th in 20:54.6, and Jesus Cadena 142nd in 21:58.

The senior girls finished well. They were led by Jacqueline Chavez in 20th place running a time of 21:03.9, she was followed by Allison Recancoj 30th in 21:40.5, and Michele Reyes 52nd in 23:11. All 3 athletes medaled.

The senior boys ran a fine race finishing in third place and winning a team plaque for their strong effort. The top 5 finishers for Fillmore earned individual medals. Leading the charge was senior standout runner Michael Sanchez who showed he was in excellent early season form moving from 20th place to finish in 5th place in a time of 16:08.8, he was followed by Everardo Garcia Magana 13th in 16:33.6, Jesus Castro 19th in 16:49.1, Juan Ramirez 30th in 17:13.8, Jonathan Ordaz 59th in 18:18.9, Gustavo Valdez 81st in 19:21.2, and Eric Hernandez 95th in 619:56.0.

The Flashes will next travel as a split squad with several athletes traveling to the prestigious Woodbridge Invitational on Friday, September 15th and the other group competing on Saturday, September 16th at the Ojai Invitational.

Tori Pina leads the attack on the Panteras to get California United on the board.
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Submitted By Coach Tony Hernandez

After one whole week off, three California United teams kicked off the winter season by winning all three games.

U-13 Girls: Taking on the Oxnard Waves California United came out looking to make a statement against last season’s champion. They did just that with a 4-0 win behind a full game shutout from goalkeeper Yazmin Mercado. Scoring for California United was Isabella Regalado with 2 goals while Daisy Jimenez and Jennifer Abrego each had 1 goal as well. Plenty of assists as usual for this team as Jennifer Abrego has 2 and Valeria Jaimes and Daisy Jimenez each had 1.

U-12 Boys: This was a close game down to the end against Atlas with California United winning it 5-4. The big scorer of the game was Ivan Espino as he gets a hat trick (3 goals) in the season opener. Scoring the other two goals were Fernando Pastrana and Alonso Murillo with 1 each.

U-11 Girls: California United took on the Oxnard Panteras to start their season and walked off the field with a 2-0 victory. Scoring was at a premium in this game as we were well in to the second half before Tori Pina scored the first goal of the game after a great run. A while later, Marlene Gonzales scored the second goal of the game on a booming kick. This was more than enough for the defense which prides itself in getting shut outs with Gaby Martinez and Mikayla McKenzie sharing time as goalkeepers.

Submitted by Coach Tanya Gonzales.

Last Thursday, September 9th Fillmore hosted Carpinteria to kick off the first league match of the season. Fillmore’s Frosh team defeated Carpenteria in 2 sets final scores: 25-23 and 25-11; JV team won in 2 sets final scores: 25-13 and 25-17; Flashes Varsity lost to Carpinteria in 4 sets. Final scores were 25-21, 22-25, 19-25, and 23-25. All very close games, but Fillmore fell short. Fillmore’s standout players were Kasey Crawford with 4 serving aces, 11 digs, and 5 kills. Lindsey Brown had 12 digs. Tori Gonzales had 11 assists, 2 serving aces, 7 digs and 3 kills. The Flashes will host Thatcher on Thursday, September 14th for their second league game of the season.

Tuesday September 12, Fillmore hosted Malibu. Frosh team won 25-16 and 25-23. JV team won 25-18 and 25-20. Varsity lost in 3. 4-25, 18-25, and 18-25. Strong players for the evening were Kasey Crawford with 1 serving ace, 8 kills with some strategically placed hits. Lindsey Brown had 9 digs, 1 serving ace, and 1 kill. Tori Gonzales had 4 kills, 2 serving aces, a few balls saved on defense and 12 assists.

Junior Cecilia Cisneros who placed 64th in 22:47.51 at the UCSB Gaucho Invite. Photo Courtesy Kim Tafoya.
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Freshman Emma Ortiz who placed 87th in 13:07.87 at the UCSB Gaucho Invite. Photo Courtesy Kim Tafoya.
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Freshman Andres Gonzalez at the UCSB Gaucho Invite. Photo Couresty Kim Tafoya.
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On a hot day, Fillmore’s Cross Country teams competed in their first meet of the season at the UCSB Gaucho Invitational. Runners competed in one of two distances, a short course of 1.43 miles for the novice runners and a longer 2.99 course.

Fillmore girl newcomers started out the morning running the short course and finished well. They were led by Isabela de la Cruz 21st in 10:53.58, followed by Paulina Fernandez 31st in 11:04.51, Aliyah Heredia 62nd in 12:05.23, Soraya Negrete 63rd in Liliana Felix 69th in 12:22.62, Emma Ortiz 87th in 13:07.87 and Marisol Ramos 95th in 13:47.92.

In the longer girls race, the Flashes were led by Giselle Perez who finished in 44th place in 21:34.19, followed by Allison Recancoj 54th in 22:12, Nicole Gonzalez 59th in 22:27.12, Cecilia Cisneros 64th in 22:47.51, Emma Orozco 77th in 23:30.79, Jacqueline Chavez 83rd in 24:01.66, and Michele Reyes 103rd in 25:06.43.

In the boys short race, Fillmore finished in 9th place. Top finisher was Matthew Munoz 18th in 8:50.1, followed by Erick Gutierrez 47th in 9:36.98, David Bustos 59th in 10:03.17, Jesus Cadena 67th in 10:23.81, and Andres Gonzalez 84th in 12:17.77.

The final race of the day was run over the long course. Top performer for the Flashes was freshman Rey Laureano, who recorded a 42nd place finish in a time of 17:54.6. He was followed by Davis Flores 59th in 18:34.01, Jess de la Cruz 63rd in 28:40.91, Sergio Perez 72nd in 19:01.89, Jesse Martinez 91st. in 19:31.67, Antonio Villalobos 92nd in 19:32.91, Alex Manzo 94th in 19:36.02, Joseph Magdaleno 108th in 19:55.84, Alex Recancoj 117th in 20:10.71, Andrew Otineru 129th in 20:21.81, Eric Hernandez 133rd in 20:33.51, Gustavo Valdez 135th in 20:35.38, Jorge Acevedo 146th in 20:50.91, Juan Ramirez 172nd in 21:46.89, Sam Kafka 178th in 22:37.85, and Daniel Cruz 189th in 24:33.03.

The Flashes will next compete on Friday 9/08 at the Rosemead Invitation.

Written by Coach Bowman

Hi there this is my second year as the high school girls tennis coach. I have a great team this year; nine girls strong. We have three players returning from last year Lizzy, Briana, and Karime, along with six new players for the 2017-2018 school year. On 9-5-17, we will have played our first match against Santa Clara high school at the Oxnard Tennis Center. I am looking forward to keeping Fillmore up to date with the season as the girls face their opponents. Remember, tennis is not an easy sport to learn. These girls are learning fast or getting better and better after each practice. I encourage the high school girls to take up the sport of tennis as it builds confidence and good self esteem. If I can be a part of good character development, I am a happy coach. Backhands, forehands, service returns, volleys, overheads, and the list goes on of all the specific and challenging tasks to learn in the game of tennis. Lastly, on Tuesday mornings at 8:00 a.m, there is an adult group of intermediate to advanced tennis players gathering at the city courts. Come join us!

Victory – CU players experience the thrill of victory after the final whistle.
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Speed – Speed kills, as our forwards and two top goal scorers for the season, Jadon Rodriguez (left) and Marlene Gonzales (right) put pressure on the Waves defenders.
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Corner – The offense looks to make a play off a corner kick as they battle for position down in the box.
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Battle – California United player Jadon Rodriguez leans in to the defender as she fights her way towards the goal.
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[Submitted By Coach Tony Hernandez]

We are the Champions!

There was a lot of excitement in the air this weekend as two California United teams, the U-11 and U-13 girls, met in their leagues’ Championship game.

The U-11 girls took on the Oxnard Waves in their Championship game. The competition was intense and at times got heated, with the California United players not backing down an inch. Forward Jadon Rodriguez scored the first goal of the game after a tough run to get in position for the shot which energized both her team and the crowd. The second goal of the game came off a big free kick from outside the box by Lexi Pina, getting it just over the goalies head giving California United a slight cushion. Those two goals proved to be more than enough for California United’s great defense which stepped up with a huge shut out in this Championship game as Mikayla McKenzie stood in as goalie the entire game. The defense was both aggressive and worked together extremely well as a unit in order to get the job done. In the end, when the final whistle blew, the players jumped and yelled with joy as they had EARNED their Championship title after coming close so many times and all the hard work they have put in over the last couple of years. Not only was this California United’s first league Championship but, also a perfect season with an overall record of 12-0-0, a truly great accomplishment that the entire team should be proud of.

The U-13 girls also had a Championship game this weekend but unfortunately lost 0-4 versus the Oxnard Waves. This California United team had a great season in which they grew together as a team and as a coaching staff. Hold your heads high ladies, we await big things from this team going forward, along with more Championship match ups.

A special thanks from the California United coaches and Board to our families, our sponsors Body Image Fitness Center, El Taco Llama, El Pescador and Portobello Pizza as well as the entire City of Fillmore for your encouragement and support. California United prides itself on being completely volunteer based and keeping the costs minimal for our players’ families which could not be done without the help of the community and our sponsors. If you would like to get more information on how to register a player, coach a team or support the club in other ways, please email us at caliunitedfc@gmail.com or look for us on Facebook.

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Submitted by Coach Tanya Gonzales

Tuesday August 22 Fillmore Girls Volleyball match against Vasquez Final Scores: JV won in 2 matches, 25-8 and 25-10. Unfortunately, Varsity lost in 5 matches, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16, 17-25, and 12-15. Fillmore will take on Providence at Westmont College, Thursday August 31st.

Tuesday August 29 Fillmore Girls Volleyball match against Channel Islands, Varsity lost in 4 games, Scores were: 17-25, 25-17, 17-25, and 19-25. Lindsey Brown had 15 digs, 3 serving aces and 3 kills, Tori Gonzales had 17 assists and 3 kills, and Marie Hernandez had 3 kills and 3 blocks. JV lost in 3. 25-9, 21-25, and 10-15. Frosh team won: 25-15 and 25-23.

Forward Marlene Gonzales (front) races by the opposing player as Jadon Rodriguez (back) awaits a crossing pass to take a shot. Photo by Martin Hernandez.
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Two of our tireless mid-fielders, Fatima Alvarado (left) using some fancy footwork to get around the defender as Athena Sanchez (right) gets in position to receive the pass. Photo by Martin Hernandez.
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The CU girls, both U-11 and U-13, are only one win away from earning their first league Championship after winning their semi-final match ups.

U-11. CU came out determined versus the Warriors as they were not going to be denied their spot in the Championship game. The offense was on full attack from the get go, and they needed to be with the Warriors having a very strong goalie. Our goal scorers for the game were Marlene Gonzales with 3 goals and Jadon Rodriguez with 2, while Marlene also had an assist. Their breakaway speed along with the great passing of our middles led to 25+ shots on goal that finally overwhelmed the Warriors defense. The CU defense on the other hand had one of its best games to date hardly allowing any shots on goal and marking yet another shut out with Mikayla McKenzie and Lexi Pina at goalie. This team is looking strong at the right time and is focused on completing the goal they set for themselves at the start of this season. The Championship game will be held this Saturday versus the Oxnard Waves at 9 am at Park Del Sol in Oxnard.

U-13. In a very tight game against the Pumas, CU was able to hang on for the 3-2 victory and make their way to their league Championship. Location and time for the championship is still TBD but look for us on Facebook to receive the latest updates.

The U-12 boys went into the semi-finals as the top seeded team and ran in to a tough loss against the Tigres, with a final score of 0-4. The CU team had a really strong regular season, 7-1-1, and were looking confident going in to the playoffs but just came up a bit short. This will undoubtedly be a great learning experience for this team and we are really excited about the future prospects for this up and coming group of young players as they keep developing their skills.

California United U-11 Coaches going over the adjustments the team needs to make before they begin the second half of the game against Valley United. Photo Courtesy of Ofelia Tello.
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Submitted By Coach Tony Hernandez

Last week, August 5th, the U-12 boys took on the Dep Oxnard team and looked great with an 8-0 win even while being shorthanded with only one sub available. The scorers in this game were Ivan Espino with 3, Alonso Murillo with 2, Samuel Govea, Joel Virgen and Daniel Melendez each had a goal.

The U-12 boys also played this past weekend versus Pachuca Jr. and got another victory with a final score of 6-1. Ivan Espino and Fernando Pastrana each had 2 goals, while Alonso Murillo and Juan Garza had 1 apiece. This was a big victory for the team as they finish the regular season with a 7-1-1 record, making them the top seed going in to the playoffs this weekend.

The U-11 girls were also in action versus Valley United taking the game 8-3. After Valley United got out to a quick lead California United settled in and then came on strong in the second half. Marlene Gonzales kept breaking away with her speed scoring 5 goals as Jadon Rodriguez also shined with 3 goals. This victory caps off a regular season where the team went undefeated with a final record of 10-0-0. Semi-finals begin this week as California United goes in as the top seed and looking for that Championship.

California United U-12 player starting his run on a free kick versus VC Galaxy. Picture by Brenda Melendez.
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Using her speed, California United’s U-11 player Marlene Gonzales runs out ahead of a Wave midfielder.
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Submitted By Coach Tony Hernandez

This weekend proved to be a full one for California United, starting with the U-11 girls’ team who had two games. Their first was against the Oxnard Waves in a very competitive game that was much closer than the 4-1 score would lead you to believe. After falling behind 0-1, the California United team came back starting late in the first half with 4 unanswered goals lead by Marlene Gonzales with 3 strong goals, Athena Sanchez with 1 goal and Tori Pina with one assist to Marlene. The defense hung in there tough after giving up that first goal, giving their team an opportunity to come back.

On Sunday, the team took on the Warriors and had their passing game on point, moving the ball all around the field and getting a great team win. This game saw Kari Terrazas and Athena Sanchez with 2 goals each and Marlene Gonzales, Miley Tello, Tori Pina and Fatima Alvarado with 1 goal each with an assist from Fatima as well. With this win, the California United team stands at a 9-0 record with 1 game to go before playoffs.

The winning ways also continue for the U-13 girls who took on the Panthers and walked off the field with a 3-1 victory. As we come to expect from this team there was great distribution with Isabella Regalado, Jenny Abrego and Daisy Jimenez each having one goal while Daisy also had 2 assists as Valeria Jaimes had 1 assist. Current record 5-2-0.

The U-12 boys took on the Ventura County Galaxy and came out on top in a 4-2 win. The standout in this game was Ivan Espino with a hat trick ( 3 goals ) and Alonso Murillo with 1 goal to seal the victory. Current record is 5-1-1.

The U-13 boys also saw action this week taking on team Barcelona. Both Johnny Zoto and Julio Negrete had a goal but it was not enough in the tough loss as the final score was 8-2. Current record 4-3-2.

A touch and go play in front of the goalie in the U-12 game. Photo courtesy of Irma Espino.
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Submitted By Coach Tony Hernandez

The U-11 girls had an intense and competitive game against Valley United this past weekend that ended with the final score being 4-0 . The game was much closer than the score might indicate, with Valley United taking 6 shots and 2 Penalty Kick’s against our goalie, Mikayla McKenzie. Lucky for California United, Mikayla was ready and waiting, along with her defense battling all game long against an aggressive offense. After a slow start, California United started to finally move the ball with a combination of passing and speed leading to a few break away runs. Getting the goals for us this weekend were Jadon Rodriguez, Fatima Alvarado, Marlene Gonzales and Jessica Rodriguez. Overall Record 8-0-0.

The U-12 boys also saw action this weekend against the Piru Chivas. The California United offense exploded for a 10 goal game with 3 goals by Ivan Espino, 2 goals each by Juan Garza, Fernando Pastrana, Samuel Govea and 1 goal by Tony Andrade. This great showing puts their overall record at 4-1-1. The U-13 team had a good victory over Oxnard PAL with a final score of 4-2.