Submitted by Coach Tony Hernandez

This past Saturday the U-10 girls, in their first ever tournament, played great and started their California United careers with a Championship at the Ventura County Soccer Club Tournament this past weekend. The game started off deadlocked as both teams went back and forth on the attack with neither side able to put it in the net. The first goal of the game was put in by Alondra Leon off an assist by Lizbeth Mendez. Sealing the game with the second and final goal of the game was Sara Diaz, making the final score 2-0 for California United behind a great defensive shutout with Fiona Cabral as goalie. This was a two weekend tournament in Oxnard with the semis and finals this past weekend as a run up to the start of the Spring Season. The U-10 girls are officially off and running on the local soccer scene. Only a few months from the time the team was assembled these ladies have put the county on notice, they are ready to compete right now. Congratulations to the coaching staff and good luck to the entire California United family of teams as we look to kick off the Spring Season in the next couple of weeks.

Submitted by Coach Mark Blankenship

1/24/18 FHS vs Foothill Tech – Final Score FHS 44, Foothill Tech 74
The boys started strong in this game, just couldn’t finish the game off. Leading for FHS Daniel Gonzales, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block , 1 steal; Roy Esquivel, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal; Jake Saviers, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists.

1/26/18 FHS vs Villanova High School – Final Score FHS 59, Villanova 43
The boys started off well, played a good game to bring home the victory at Villanova. FHS outscored Villanova each qtr, played well in the full court press. Leading for Fillmore Daniel Gonzales, 23 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals; Junior Maldonado, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; Jake Saviers, 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal; Ian Morris, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal. Flashes are now 6-12 overall, 4-2 in Frontier League.

Submitted by Coach Mark Blankenship

1/17/18 FHS vs Thacher - Final Score FHS 62, Thacher 68
Flashes started slow, let opponent build a 1st qtr lead that doomed them, foul trouble cost then as well. Played well throughout, just came up a lil short at end losing the contest.

Leading for Flashes Daniel Gonzales, 23 points, 16 rebounds, 1 steal; Noah Padilla , 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal; Junior Maldonado, 9 points, 2 rebounds; Jake Saviers, 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal ; Jordan Padilla, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal.

1/19/18 FHS vs Cate – Final Score FHS 49, Cate 43
Flashes were sluggish on offense in the first half, but picked it up in the second half to bring home the victory. It was a great team effort in the win, with special recognition to Jake Saviers, Junior Maldonado, Noah Padilla holding their leading scorer to just 11 points on the night.

The Flashes were down 4 late, switched to a full court press, and scored 6 points in less than 10 seconds to take the lead for good. Late free throws sealed the victory on the road.

Leading for Flashes Daniel Gonzales, 28 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal; Junior Maldonado, 6 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists; Roy Esquivel, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals; Jake Saviers, 4 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal

The Fillmore Flashes are 3-1 in Frontier League, 5-11 overall. Flashes are home vs Foothill 1/24/18, then on road 1/26/18 vs Villanova.

Submitted By Coach Mark Blankmenship

1/5/18 FHS vs Pacifica – Fianl Score: FHS 42, Pacifica 81
The Flashes played well in the first half, only being down by 5 at halftime. The second half saw the Flashes struggle a bit to keep up the pace, eventually losing the contest. Leading for Flashes - Daniel Gonzales, 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks; Jake Saviers, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks; Roy Esquivel, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block; Junior Maldonado, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks.

1/6/18 FHS vs Santa Clara – Final Score: FHS 44, Santa Clara 74
The Flashes struggled in this contest , second game of a back to back. The boys had played a tuff Pacifica team the night before, and never really got going in this one. They fought the whole game, coming up short. Leading for Flashes - Jordan Padilla, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; Junior Maldonado, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; Daniel Gonzales, 8 points, 13 rebounds; Jake Saviers, 6 points, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. Flashes finished the non-league season with a 2-10 record.

Flashes 1st League Game 1/10/18 FHS vs Villanova – Final Score: FHS 45, Villanova 41
The Flashes came out strong, leading by 3 at halftime, outscoring Villanova by 9 on the 3rd to secure a 12 point lead going into the 4th qtr. Flashes had to dig deep as they were outscored in the 4th by 8 points to hold on the Frontier League opener. Leading for Flashes - Daniel Gonzales, 23 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 3 steals; Roy Esquivel, 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block; Jake Saviers, 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal; Jordan Padilla, 4 points, 5 rebounds. Flashes 1-0 in Frontier League, 3-10 overall.

1/12/18 FHS vs Grace Brethren – Final Score: FHS 92, Grace Brethren 63
The Flashes started the game and played the entire game with a sense of purpose. They were focused from onset of game to the end of game almost putting up 100 points in this Frontier League contest. They were up 22-12 after one, 47-26 at halftime, 69-38 after three, finishing 92-63. The Flashes defensive effort in the half court and full court was the difference, creating turnovers (20) and bad shots the entire game, and the offense feed off this energy the entire game. The boys used the tuff non-league schedule and experience to play a great all-around game to give their home town fans an entertaining Friday night in the gym. Leading for Flashes - Daniel Gonzales, 22 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 2 steals; Jake Saviers, 17 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, 5 steals; Roy Esquivel, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals; Jordan Padilla, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal; Gregory Kraft, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal; Ian Morris, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal.

The Flashes are 2-0 in Frontier League, 4-10 over-all. Flashes are on the road 1/17/18 vs Thacher, and also on the road 1/19/18 vs Cate, Next home game for the Flashes will be 1/24/18 vs Foothill Tech.

Oxnard’s goalkeeper was unable to handle Jadon Rodriguez’s blast, giving California United a 1-0 lead.
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Submitted by Coach Tony Hernandez

The California United U-11 girls matched up with Oxnard’s’ Nacional team for the OCSL Championship this past weekend. California United came to the game with a 10-0-0 season record and Nacional at 8-2-0 with the only losses coming from California United. It was a tightly contested game that went into the second half in a 0-0 tie. Late in to the second half Jadon Rodriguez was the first to break through with a goal and Marlene Gonzales scored a few minutes later to seal the game for California United. The defense played a strong game as usual, allowing very few shots near the goal and keeping the opponents shooting from the outside. The few shots that did get by were stopped by Gabi Martinez who had a full game shutout and a great second half stop to keep it scoreless.

Congratulations to the California United players on this Championship! These athletes have worked very hard and put in lots of time to achieve back to back undefeated Championships and we look forward to another great year.

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Submitted by Coach Javier Alcaraz

After three weeks off due to wildfires on Wednesday, January 3rd Fillmore Flashes Varsity started off the week by defeating Dos Pueblos 5-1. Goals were made by Jose Valdez 2, Yobani Figueroa 1, Alex Rodriquez 1 goal and 1 assist, Joel Garza 1 goal and 1 assist, lastly, Carlos Vargas with 2 assist.

On Friday, January 5th Flashes opened up League away against the Carpenteria Warriors.

Final scores were Fillmore’s Frosh lost 0-1, Fillmore’s JV won 5-0 against Carpenteria and Varsity won 0-3 against Carpenteria.

Upcoming games on Wednesday, January 10th Fillmore will host long time rival Santa Paula. Games begin as follows: Frosh 3:00pm, JV 4:30pm, Varsity 6:00pm. and Friday January 12th Fillmore will host Grace Brethren same times.

Saturday, January 13th Fillmore Flashes JV Boys Wrestling will compete in tournament at Hueneme High. Fillmore Flashes Girls wrestling will be at a tournament in West Torrance.

Submitted by Coach Blankenship.

54th Annual Ventura Kiwanis Tournament: Fillmore 34, Ventura 96 was the final. Flashes started game off playing extremely well, played hard for the first half , eventually succumbing to a good Ventura team.

The Flashes never gave up, Ian Morris was solid on defense, putting pressure on the ball at all times, Jake Saviers, Noah Padilla, Roy Esquivel and Daniel Gonzales also played well on the defensive side as well.

The young men are starting to get it, been a tuff go this season, some unexpected interruptions along the way hurt them as well, but they continue to battle and get better every day

Leading for Flashes. Game Stats: Jordan Padilla, 7 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal, Jake Saviers, 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal, Adrian Casas, 5 points, Ian Morris, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, Daniel Gonzales, 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, Roy Esquivel, 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, Daniel Munoz, 2 points, 2 rebounds, Junior Maldonaldo, 3 points, 1 rebound.

12/29/17 - FHS 49, Pacifica 73: The Flashes came out and played a great first half vs Pacifica.

Costly turnovers and some missed opportunities cost the Flashes down the stretch to secure the victory. The boys played hard throughout, fighting till the final whistle blew.

The Flashes continue to get better and better each game out, growing as basketball players and as a team. The Flashes shot 43% from three point range, (6-14), and 85% from Free throw line ( 11-13), just not enough to seal the victory Leading for Fillmore Daniel Gonzales, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assist, 1 block, 1 steal, Ian Morris, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, Noah Padilla, 6 points, 5 rebounds, Jordan Padilla, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, Junior Maldonado, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist, Jaysson Carrillo, 6 points, Roy Esquivel, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, Andres Maldonado, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, Jake Saviers, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal.

12/29/17 - FHS 45, Moorpark 68: Flashes started strong, played a good first half before falling to Moorpark. Leading For Flashes Junior Maldonado, 11 points, 3 rebounds , 1 steal, Noah Padilla, 10m points, 1 rebound, 2 steals, Ian Morris, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, Roy Esquivel, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, Jake Saviers, 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, Daniel Gonzales, 2 points, 12 rebounds, 1 block, 3 steals.

12/30/17 - FHS 66, Santa Paula 49: The Flashes avenged an earlier defeat to SP with a victory

Game started with SP going on an 8-0 run, then leading 11-4 at one point before the Flashes took control for good. The Flashes didn’t panic, weathered the storm, and came home with the victory . The Flashes played great man to man defense the entire game, shutting down their leading scorer, Jake Saviers, Noah Padilla, Junior Maldonado, Ian Morris, Roy Esquivel, Daniel Gonzales leading the defensive charge. The boys grew up in the tournament a bit, played extremely well today as a unit. Leading for Fillmore Daniel Gonzales, 26 points, 18 rebounds, 2 steals, Noah Padilla, 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal, Jake Saviers, 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, Junior Maldonado, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, Ian Morris, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, Roy Esquivel, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals. Flashes are 2-8 on season, next Game 1/5/17 Home VS Pacifica.

Submitted by Coach Ponce.
Saturday, January 6th girls will be wrestling in the Santa Paula Girls Duals Tournament. The boys will be wrestling at home against a tough Valencia High School to start league competition on Tuesday, January 9th.

(l-r) Paola Estrada, Ayden Marquez and Niza Lauerano who were named All American Athletes at the USATF Jr. Olympic Cross Country National Championships. Photo Courtesy Erika Arana.
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Submitted by Erika Arana

The Fillmore Condors Cross Country team concluded their 2017 season by participating in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics National Cross Country Championships on Saturday, December 9th. Fillmore Condors Cross Country is a non-profit organization under Heritage Valley Blazers Inc. Twelve local athletes from Fillmore and Santa Paula ranging in ages 7-14 traveled across the country to the rare cold winter 40 degree temperatures of Tallahassee, Florida to compete at the 100+ acres known as the premiere cross country facility at Apalachee Regional Park. This multi-use park includes one of the nation’s few sites designed specifically for cross country running. The pristine trail features numerous course/distance options through the rolling hills, lowlands and pine forests. The trail was designed to give runners the opportunity to run on several types of surfaces.

The athletes qualified for the event by finishing in the top eight of the Valley Youth Conference and finishing in the top 30 individually or being a member of the top three teams of the USATF Jr. Olympics Region 15 Championship race, that was held on November 19th in Central Park, Santa Clarita. The Condors joined other area runners to form Valley United Striders. Condor representatives were Genevieve Abbitt, Abel Arana, Emily Arriaga, Leah Barragan, Paola Estrada, Santiago Felix, Carolina Garcia, Niza Laureano, Ayden Marquez, Lindsey Ramirez, Diego Rodriguez and Jordyn Walla.

The team’s highest honors this season were won by Paola Estrada, who earned a second place 7:49.7 finish and title of “USATF Jr. Olympic All American” in the National Championship which included 198 runners in her division. She was Valley Youth Conference Champion and Valley United Striders number one runner for her team and earned a 1st place team championship along with her teammates Genevieve Abbitt and Emily Arriaga. The girls 8 & under divisions ran 1.24 mile (2,000 meter) race.

First time runner, Ayden Marquez was Valley United Striders number 2 runner to cross the finish line with a 7:57.5, 23rd place finish and title of “USATF Jr. Olympic All American in the National Championship which included 239 runners in his division. Together with his teammates, Abel Arana and Santiago Felix, they earned a 3rd place team finish, only one point short of 2nd place. The boys 8 & under division ran 1.24 mile (2,000 meter) race.

Niza Laureano who was the girls 9 & 10 years old Valley Youth Conference Champion, crossed the finish line in 10th place with a time of 11:17.6. She earned a 1st place team championship and the title of “USATF Jr. Olympic All American” in the National Championship. Leah Barragan also helped her “B” team snag a 10th place team finish with 302 runners in their 1.86 mile (3,000 meter) race.

In the girls 11 & 12 year old division, both Lindsey Ramirez and Carolina Garcia helped their teammates earn 3rd place team medal in their race of 369 runners. Diego Rodriguez’s boys 11 & 12 year old division race, consisted of 218 runners. All three athletes ran 1.86 mile (3,000 meter) races.

373 runners were in the girls 13 & 14 year old division with Condor alumni, Jordyn Walla. It was the second largest group competing that day, she and her teammates earned 7th place and ran 2.48 mile (4,000 meter) race.

The Condors are coached by Temo Laureano, Philip Ramirez, Israel Estrada, Victor Rodriguez and Jared Perez, who stated, “Every year, we know our athletes will go far. They push themselves daily with one goal in mind and that’s December. We are proud of every single one of them!” The Condors Team President Erika Arana would like to thank the parents for helping daily throughout the season and the following for sponsoring the Condors and making the team’s dreams become reality: Fro-Yo, East County Carnales, El Hair Studio, El Pescador in Fillmore and Heritage Valley Blazers Track & Field.

Fillmore Condor Cross Country Team pictured at the USATF Jr. Olympic Cross Country National Championships Saturday, December 9th left to right top row: Lindsey Ramirez, Diego Rodriguez, Leah Barragan, Niza Laureano, Jordyn Walla Bottom row: Ayden Marquez, Santiago Felix, Genevieve Abbitt, Paola Estrada, Emily Arriaga, Carolina Garcia and Abel Arana. Photo Courtesy Erika Arana, see full story on page 3.