Green Valley, Chaparral should dominate again

Adam Candee

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002 | 9:09 a.m.

Five questions and answers about the girls soccer scene in the Valley:

1. Are we likely to see a Green Valley-Chaparral repeat matchup in the finals?

It would not be a total shock to see those two programs in the mix at the state tournament, although there will be a number of challengers from the Sunset Region as well.

At Green Valley, the Gators return 10 starters from a state-runner up squad and should be the class of the Southeast Division. Chaparral bested the Gators, 1-0, in last year's state title game after Green Valley beat the Cowboys in the Sunrise Region finals.

"There's a hunger about this team," Green Valley coach Joe Jablonski said. "They want to win state. They were 35 minutes away from a state title, and that leaves a bad taste."

Led by senior midfielders Kim Chock and Emily Eskin, the Gators should be strong in all thirds of the field. Jablonski also is happy with the keeper play of juniors Elizabeth Winkleblech and Erin Horan.

The Cowboys do not return a great deal of depth from their 2001-02 championship squad, but the players who come back are some of the best in the area. Senior forward Cortney Sobrero is the early MVP favorite in the city.

"She's deadly from anywhere on the field," Jablonski said.

With sophomore midfielder Jessica Torres back to control the transition game, Chaparral should be able to keep up with anyone in town.

2. Is the Northwest as strong as it looks?

It sure looks like that right now. Centennial and Palo Verde are off to very strong starts.

Centennial returns seven starters from a team that made an early exit from last year's Sunset playoffs, and the Bulldogs have won their first two contests. Junior midfielder Raquel Bray and sophomore forward Rachel Gordon will help pace the Bulldogs.

The Panthers came out of nowhere in the Sunset Region tournament last season to qualify for the state playoffs and nearly upset Green Valley in the semifinals. Sophomore forward Kayla Lambert will be an offensive force for Palo Verde, and senior Breann Piscitelli should be solid in goal.

3. So the best teams in the city are ...

It's tough to argue with the Gators and Cowboys right now, on the Sunrise side. In the Sunset, Centennial and Palo Verde will contend from the Northwest division. On the west side, the favorites are not quite as clear-cut.

Picking a champion at this point would be very difficult, but that quartet will be in the mix at the end.

4. Who are some of the best players in the city?

Sobrero highlights the group, with Chock, Eskin, and Torres leading the pack in the Sunrise. In that region, keep an eye on Eldorado junior forward Erica Orozco as well.

In the Sunset, Lambert is a good starting point, along with Bray and Gordon. Other notable players include senior keeper Danielle Ghaffari and senior midfielder/forward Katie Burton of Bishop Gorman, as well as junior midfielder/ forward Jessica Destito of Cimarron-Memorial.

5. Who are the sleeper teams?

Watch out for Coronado and Eldorado on the Sunrise side. Gorman and Cimarron could make some noise in the Sunset.