Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * Mail: PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 * Web: www.stjohnsreview.com * Phone: 503-283-5086 * The ST. JOHNS REVIEW * #4 Feb. 26, 2016 * Page 3
COMMUNITY NEWS
Roosevelt Soccer Coach fired after great season
Letter sent to community from John Teuscher
Dear Roosevelt Soccer Supporters,
The holidays are over and my
work with the Peninsula Optimist
tree lot is over. I wish to take this
opportunity to personally thank
each of you for supporting the
Roosevelt men’s soccer team this
past season. Your generous dona-
tions helped this year’s group of
young men accomplished some-
thing that has never been done in
the history of The Roosevelt High
School men’s soccer program as
we entered the play offs as the
26th seed in the tournament.
In our first game we pulled out
a 2-1 win over Sherwood @ Roo-
sevelt.
Our second game of the tourna-
ment was against the # 8 ranked
Forest Grove Vikings on their
home field. This was a very well-
played match that could have gone
either way. In the closing min-
utes of the match Austin Schulz
made a cross from the right side
of the field from about mid field
and found freshman Michal Un-
derwood open on the left corner
of the 18 yard box, as the Forest
Grove goalie coming out to defend
the play. Underwood placed a nice
solid shot with his left foot around
the goalie and found the back right
corner of the net to seal the victory
for Roosevelt.
Next up for the Rough Riders
was Beaverton H.S. This team that
was making a playoff run with a
couple of upset wins of their own.
This was a game of two evenly
matched teams. The game was a
battle during regulation play with
both teams putting one score on
the board. Next came two hard
played over time periods which
ended with the score still tied. The
Rough Riders came running off
the field looking like they were
just warming up. The Beaverton
players came walking off the field.
We could tell they were finished.
Now it would come down to pen-
alty kicks. (Earlier this summer
during the Mt. Hood Challenge
Club soccer tournament we missed
making the championship game
losing in penalty kicks to Lake
Oswego. We incorporated this our
practice in case it happened again).
Each team was given 5 minutes to
set their players and order. Both
teams were even after 4 rounds.
Roosevelt goal keeper Jordan Ash-
er came up with the greatest save
of his career. Next up was senior
Anthony Sylvester sealing the win
on the next PK. WOW! In my 12
years of coaching soccer at Roos-
evelt it is the first time I witnessed
a Roosevelt crowd storm the field
after a win! It is the greatest mo-
ment I have experienced during
my time as a soccer coach at Roo-
sevelt. The boys’ will remember
this moment for the rest of their
lives. I have watched the video
of all those penalty kick’s more
time’s that I can count. Tahat win-
ning kick is forever etched in my
memory.
Next up.
The Rough Rider are in the OSSA
quarter finals (Elite 8). We have
earned the right to play the #1
ranked team in Oregon (McMinn-
ville) at Grizzly, stadium. I had no
idea how the team would respond
after a very emotional victory
against Beaverton a few nights
earlier.
During the game introduction’s
I could not believe the turnout of
support for both teams. The stadi-
um was packed for a soccer game.
The game was even being broad-
cast live on the radio.
The game started out very close
and even for the first 22 minutes of
the game. Roosevelt actually was
getting a lot of great shots on goal,
but not putting any in the back of
the net. Around the 22 minute
mark McMinnville’s senior lead-
ership took over and put 4 goals in
the net by half time.
During half time I talked to the
players about playing their game
in the second half. Forget about
the score and play as hard as you
can and leave everything you have
on the field and when the game is
over walk off the field with your
heads held high. The boys gave
the Grizzly’s everything they
could handle in the second half.
The final score was McMinnville
4 – Roosevelt 0.
After the game the coaches took
the team to Izzy’s restaurant for
all you could eat dinner. It was a
great opportunity for the coaches
and players to hang out. If there
is a bright spot after the greatest
play-off run in school history it’s
the fact that we only had 4 seniors
on the team. The ‘youngest team
in the play offs’. Next season we
should have 11 returning players
back from this season’s team. In
addition, our JV team went 10-5.
There should be some strong play-
ers moving up and filling our Var-
sity squad. Our team goal will be
to try and win a PIL title and make
another deep run during the OSAA
play-offs.
The following players and coach-
es received PIL & All state honors
this season.
• Oscar Garcia: 1st team PIL &
2nd team all-state. Only the sec-
ond player in RHS school history
to make the all state in team.
• Anthony Sylvester: 2nd all PIL
• Jose Hernandez: Honorable
mention PIL
• Chikuru Baleke: Honorable
mention PIL
• Jordon Asher: Honorable men-
tion PIL
• John Teuscher: PIL coach of the
year & OSAA 6A coach of the
year.
Your donations helped with the
following support this season.
• Hoodies & T shirts for the play-
ers. The players designed the art-
work.
• Our first annual hit the beach trip.
We took the players to the aquar-
ium in Newport and went to “D”
River state park in Lincoln City to
play soccer in the sand.
• Team dinner @ Izzy’s.
• Game tickets to attend a Univer-
sity of Portland soccer game.
• End of season party for JV &
Varsity players @ Bullwinkles in
Wilsonville.
• 20 Soccer balls for team practic-
es.
• Pay for our meals on our trip to
Newport and our preseason road
trip games to Hermiston, Central
& Lebanon.
Once again I want to thank ev-
eryone for helping make this a
season to remember for the boys.
I was fired as the men’s coach on
Tuesday, February 9 by the AD &
VP. I know I’ll land somewhere
coaching.
Sincerely,
John Teuscher
Head Men’s Soccer Coach Roos-
evelt H.S.