JSerra's Girls Soccer Program Has a True Believer in Young

When Rick Young walked onto the campus at JSerra High School as an applicant for the vacant coaching position for the varsity girl’s soccer team, he had a good feeling. After undergoing a two-hour interview before a panel of school administrators, he was pretty sure. When offered the job days later, he was relieved.

The biggest journey of his career was about to begin.

“I know there’s a reason why I’m at JSerra. God wanted me to be here,” said Young, who, despite a close loss to Santa Margarita recently, smiled broadly when asked about being at JSerra. “It’s about us building a program, not one team. Hopefully, that’s why they hired me, and that’s why I wanted to be here.”

Young, 36, has been coaching soccer for half his life. He has been a club coach for Slammers Futbol Club of Newport Beach, an assistant coach at Trinity League rival Mater Dei, and currently is the girl’s head coach at the club team Legends in Chino Hills, where he and his family live. Young commutes daily 100 miles roundtrip to San Juan Capistrano, but he doesn’t seem to mind. The feeling of competing for your school is overwhelming.

“The facility here is unbelievable. There’s nothing else like playing for your school,” Young said. “That was the feeling at Mater Dei, and that’s what I want to do here.”

When Young took over the job he was realistic. He read all the papers, which picked JSerra to finish last in the Trinity League. He would be facing tough teams such as Rosary, Orange Lutheran, top-ranked Santa Margarita and, of course, Mater Dei.

The girls read the papers, too. But that hasn’t seemed to deter them.

“We expected to do well, and we are doing well,” said freshman defender Hannah Lawrence. The Lions went 9-5-4 during nonleague games and tournaments. “When you play a good team like Santa Margarita and play well, it makes you want to do something better.”

JSerra is one of the youngest teams in the league. Only two seniors see significant playing time—defender Nicollette McDonald and goalkeeper Williams. The backfield is the strength of the team with McDonald and junior Brooke Barnidge on the right side, and sisters Hannah and junior Emily Lawrence on the left. Williams is arguably one of the best goalkeepers in not only the league but also Orange County because of her good leaping ability and ball anticipation.

Offensively, the Lions have struggled this season. They have been held scoreless in six matches, including three of their last four league games. In a 1-0 home loss to Mater Dei, they attempted nine shots but could only put one on goal.

Freshman forward Anallyce Hagopian is the fastest player on the team and always seems to be around the ball, and freshman Isabella Guerry is strong on the left-side attack. But both players lack the experience to perform consistently throughout a match.

JSerra’s goal at the beginning of the season was to finish in the top three in league, and that hasn’t changed. The Lions are 1-2-2 in league and tied for third with Orange Lutheran, having beaten the Lancers, 2-1, by scoring two goals in the match's final four minutes.

Young said he would like to see his team show pundits and predictors that the Lions are not just a team of the future but of the present, too.

“People picked us to be a doormat, and now, halfway through the season, people are starting to realize that we’re not going to lay down,” Young said. “We’re definitely learning from each game. It’s good for me to be here.”

JSerra continues league play on Thursday at Santa Margarita, then hosts Orange Lutheran on Feb. 1 and finishes up with a match at league-leading Mater Dei on Feb. 7.

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JSerra Girls Soccer 2010-11 Roster

1 — Kaitlyn Neighbours, Sr.

2 — Andie Reed, Sr.

3 — Anallyce Hagopian, Fr.

4 — Jenae McDonald, Sr.

5 — Nicollette McDonald, Sr.

6 — Carlee Gutierrez, Fr.

7 — Grace Canady, Sr.

8 — Isabella Guerry, Fr.

9 — Cadiz Karina, Sr.

10 — Brooke Barnidge, Jr.

11 — Lauryn Thorpe, Jr.

12 — Brynne McCord, Sr.

13 — Katie Linehan, Sr.

14 — Emily Lawrence, Jr.

15 — Bridget Cahill, Sr.

18 — Hannah Lawrence, Fr.

19 — Tiana Salazar, So.

20 — Alyssa Andie, Sr.

21 — Kimia  Kabir, Sr.

22 — Morgan Williams, Sr.