Falcons soar to top in county middle school soccer
Falcon Cove Middle School boys soccer coach Evie Hoopes closed out a storied career as she led the Falcons to the county championship with a 3-0 victory over Pioneer Middle School at Western High School.
Hoopes, who is also the school’s athletic director, coached a boys team for the first time. She previously mentored the girls soccer and volleyball teams.
She has overcome hurdles along the way, and the biggest one taking place off the field after being diagnosed with cancer in 2014. Her bright pink T-shirt was doused with ice water during the team celebration following the game.
“This is for you, Coach,” said eighth-grader Ian Jimenez as his two goals sparked the undefeated Falcons (12-0) in the title-clinching performance. He was named Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
The post tournament, which featured teams from throughout Broward County, was filled with excitement from start to finish.
Falcon Cove (Weston) topped Nova (Davie) in the quarterfinals and Lyons Creek (Coconut Creek) in the semifinals en route to the decisive showdown.
Pioneer defeated Tequesta Trace (Weston) in the quarterfinals and Sunrise (Fort Lauderdale) in the semifinals to earn its finals appearance.
For the first time this year, the county also held a charter school championship game and it was Renaissance Coral Springs that topped the field with a 2-1 victory over Franklin Pines F Academy (Pembroke Pines) at McArthur High School.
Renaissance eighth-grader Matheus Alves, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, — Evie Hoopes, Falcon Cove Middle School boys soccer coach
scored twice and first-year goalie Alejandro González made two key saves for the Eagles (8-2-1). Nile Hoilett, David Parajon, Arthur Amador and Avondre Walters provided solid defense.
Carlos Etchevers scored the lone goal off a free kick for the Golden Panthers (6-2-3). Andres Di Miele, Danilo Jordan and Nicolas De La Colina turned in strong performances for the first-year team, while Attila Szathmari was outstanding in his first year as a goalkeeper.
To reach the final, Renaissance defeated Imagine Charter (Weston), while Franklin Pines bested Renaissance Charter School at University (Tamarac).
Falcon Cove’s title in the regular middle-school tournament was all the more remarkable considering that Pioneer, also without a loss entering the contest, had not trailed in any game this season.
Jimenez scored 10 minutes into the contest off a corner kick from Christian Betancourt for a 1-0 lead and again about 25 minutes later when he beat an onrushing keeper for a 2-0 advantage.
Carlos Uzcategui later put the exclamation point to the Falcons victory off another assist from Betancourt. “I wanted to bring the championship back to Falcon Cove,” said Hoopes, who has been a coach at the school for 17 years. The Falcons last won a boys soccer title in 2014.
“Individually each one of these players is phenomenal,” Hoopes said. “It was [all about] them playing together as a band of brothers that would set them apart from other teams.”
Hoopes said she time to walk away.
“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, I needed to take a break. This is my time to take that break,” Hoopes continued. “I stopped [coaching] girls soccer with a championship, knew it was stopped [coaching] girls volleyball with a championship, and now that the boys soccer championship is back [at Falcon Cove], I’m good to take that break now.”
Jimenez, 13, said losing in the playoffs last year to Tequesta Trace in a penalty kick shootout served as motivation for his team this season.
Betancourt, 14, also an eighthgrader, didn’t make the team as a sixth-grader when his family moved to South Florida from Venezuela.
“I am really proud to be in the school and win a championship,” said Betancourt, a two-year starter. “When I first came to this country, I was scared and didn’t know what to expect.”
The Falcon Cove squad was led defensively by Jimenez, Jake Braun, Alex Sanderson, Will Torres and Jorge Tamayo.
Pioneer wrapped up play with an 11-1 record. Despite the loss, eighth-grader Amari Rainford was happy to reach the title game again.
“It was pretty big,” said Rainford, 13, of Fort Lauderdale. “We had to overcome a lot of adversity.”
Added Cooper City’s Troy Spratley, 14: “[Falcon Cove] started off really strong, probably a little stronger than we expected, and that took us out of our game.”
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