Saint Mary's Star Player Diagnosed with Leukemia

Emmanuel Sarabia, nicknamed "Morro," is a standout forward for the Saint Mary's Gaels men's soccer team. Morro helped the Gaels achieve a record-setting season which included their first WCC championship and also advanced the unseeded team to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight, where they lost a close match to eventual champion, North Carolina.

No stranger to challenge, Morro was sidelined for the 2010 season with an ACL tear and surgery from a preseason game injury after scoring two goals and one assist. Recently the 21-year-old has been diagnosed with Leukemia, a rare cancer of the immune system, and is already undergoing treatment.


Morro is a Truckee, CA native, loved and respected by so many in the small community and beyond at college. The link below is for a donation page to assist Morro and his family with the medical expenses. I'm asking for people to donate, email others, tweet and retweet to support a current and future star of both the community and playing fields.


Checks can also be mailed directly to the Saint Mary's athletic department with "Morro" noted on the check.  Mail to:  Saint Mary's College, Athletic Business Office, P.O. Box 4380, Moraga, CA 94575.

"Morro has certainly dealt with his share of adversity during his time here at Saint Mary's," said head Coach Adam Cooper. "But he has such a positive outlook and work ethic. He worked really hard to successfully come back from his knee injury. I know he is going to battle through this and come back stronger and more determined than ever."


https://www.wepay.com/donations/leukemia is the donation page for Morro Sarabia.

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Truckee Adult Futsal Champs 2011, 3-Peat and Still Undefeated 31-0

Another season of Truckee Adult Co-ed Futsal is in the books with the team sponsored by Mountain Lake Painting once again claiming the big prize in undefeated fashion. MLP went 11-0 through the winter 2011 regular season and playoffs elevating their overall 3 season record to an empirical 31-0.
As before, the final (real) contest came at the expense of arch-rival, Guapos, though MLP handily took care of business this time with a game that was never very close and finished 10-5. The next game (against the champs from the B-league) was a lopsided mismatch and ended 20-1.
But the path to glory, champagne and roses wasn't easy, including a regular season game against Guapos that saw MLP down 2 goals with 90 seconds remaining. As if by miracle, team captain Tommy Hernandez scored a goal and then, with 10 seconds left, found teammate striker, Andreas Zeischegg, heavily guarded near the net. Andreas received the ball, shielded one defender, turned and somehow slipped it past the Guapos keeper with 8 seconds left as the overcapacity Rec Center crowd went wild and had to be restrained by Truckee Police from storming the court.
In overtime, Genevieve Speas of MLP nailed the game-winning sudden-death penalty shot to close the nail-biting contest and keep the unbeaten streak alive.

After winning against their arch-rivals in the championship game, Hernandez spoke of destiny when he said, "We weren't scured tonight. Normally we know games with them can go either way. Tonight we were never scured, not even sure why."
Genevieve Speas came up huge again, leading team MLP in scoring and finding herself mobbed by fans and reporters immediately afterwards. "I just put the ball in the net," she said when asked the secret of her success. "People make this game complex with hella rules and strategies. Just put the ball in the back of the net."
Despite Speas' prolific goal-scoring, team assist leader, Michael (Mike) Kruger was named finals MVP for dishing out 6 assists. "My teammates deserve the credit," Kruger said, holding the cherished TDRPD Futsal Cup. "They bust ass to get open so I can dish out dimes. Makes me look like Steve Mash or Lebron Jones."

(Pictured above left to right standing - Autumn, Michael Kugler, Andreas Zeischegg, Genevieve Speas,  kneeling -Tommy Hernandez, Octavio Cardenas, Jason Matthews, Octavio Jr. Not pictured - team spiritual leader, Natalie Pratt)

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Truckee Futsal Champs Again in 2011

Last year's champs are this year's champs for Truckee adult co-ed futsal, and once again it happened in undefeated fashion for the regular season and playoffs.

Sponsored by Mountain Lake Painting, this year's team edged past their rivals in a repeat of the finals in 2010 to beat the talented Guapos by a score of 15-8. The victory earned team MLP the honor of wearing the coveted yellow jerseys in the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District fall futsal league, the only team to earn the title in the two seasons of the league.

MLP has already began training and mental preparation for the spring season which runs from February through April. Team captain, Tommy Hernandez, was asked what he expected from the competition. "It's a battle every time we step on the court," he said. "Teams are gunning for us, bringing their A-game. We have a target on our backs, but we like it that way."

Pictured left to right in the back row are Jason Matthews, Andreas Zeischegg, Genevieve Speas and Natalie Pratt. In the front row are Tommy Hernandez, Octavio Cardenas and Michael Kugler.
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