Several Fontana-based SBVC players honored and Galaxy win it all

SAN BERNARDINO – Several Fontana area players had great seasons and received honors while playing football this fall at San Bernardino Valley College.

One of those players was freshman wide receiver and Fontana A.B. Miller grad Stacy Howard. Howard was named a first team all-Mountain Conference selection for his pivotal role in SBVC receiving corps.

“It feels great,” Howard said about receiving the selection. “Coming over here to (SBVC) I stayed focused and I just had to keep my head right and do things for me.”

Howard added he learned much from the Wolverine coaching staff.

“They all took me under their wing individually and coached me to the best of their abilities and I did what they said,” he said.

In addition, Howard said listening was the best thing he could have done.

“Instead of being a knucklehead I listened to them and went with it,” he said. “My season paid off and things went right.”

Howard played in eight games for SBVC, collecting 40 receptions for 619 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 15.5 yards per catch and 77.4 yards per game. Howard also set the school record for most touchdown receptions in a game with five, versus Victor Valley.

He was first in the conference in receptions, receiving yards per game, scoring and touchdowns.

In week 10 versus Victor Valley, he was named conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Freshman offensive tackle Chris Vasquez, a Bloomington High product, was selected second team for anchoring an offensive line that only gave up just 20 sacks on the year.

Another Bloomington grad, sophomore tight end David Amaro, was selected second team all-Mountain Conference for the second consecutive year.

Amaro played in nine games for SBVC, collecting 13 receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.7 yards per catch and 18.3 yards per game.

Sophomore defensive back Jamaal Anderson from Summit High was selected second team all-Mountain Conference as a cornerback and return specialist. Anderson had 16 solo tackles, assisted on 17 tackles, equaling 33 total tackles. He had one forced fumble, recovered one fumble for a 50-yard return and had four interceptions totaling 81 yards.

As a return specialist, he had a total of 623 yards in kick returns. In fact, in the opening game of the season against Chaffey he had 175 yards in kick returns with a long of 63 yards. Anderson had 121 yards in total punt returns with a 92 yard return for a touchdown against Santa Monica.

In week four versus Santa Monica and week six versus Southwestern, he was named Conference Special Teams/All-Purpose Player of the Week.

IN PRO SOCCER, playing in front of a sellout home crowd at The Home Depot Center on Sunday night, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan punched the ball into the net in the 72 minute as the home team defeated Houston Dynamo, 1-0, to win the MLS Cup and capture the 2011 league title.

Donovan ended up with the ball in front of the Houston net after passes from midfielder David Beckham and forward Robbie Keane, allowing him to put the ball past Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall into the right corner of the net.

“This is a sense of elation,” Donovan said about winning the cup. “This has been a long year, a trying year. There are times you get tired and mentally you’re worn down, but (Galaxy coach Bruce Arena) keeps us going and the way (Beckham) has played through injuries the last few weeks, it inspired me.”

Donovan – who was named the game’s MVP – added he is just happy to get the win and not exactly the winning goal.

“The actual goal doesn’t mean a whole lot to me,” he said. “For the last month I’ve been so determined to win I don’t care how the ball went in as long as it went in. The moment the (final) whistle blew was great.”

In addition, Donovan said he really enjoyed the home field advantage.

“The atmosphere was fantastic tonight,” he said. “The stadium was electric and it was wonderful to win it here. I will always remember it.”

Arena praised his team’s efforts after the final victory.

“Tonight, our team played well,” Arena said. “We didn’t do well around the penalty area. There were some goals out there. Give Houston some credit, but it’s been a good year for our team and our organization. We have a good team and we’ve accomplished a lot this year. It’s really tough to have the season we’ve had there in the (CONCACAF Cup) and then win the MLS Cup. There’s been a lot of great teams in the league and is one of them. This is a good damn good year.”

And fueling speculation about what will become of his future, the 36-year-old midfielder and international superstar Beckham, whose five-year, multi-million dollar contract expires shortly, said he will decide soon what he will do next.

“I need to sit back, relax and enjoy this moment and see what I’m going to do,” he said. “I’m talking in past tense a bit, but it doesn’t mean I’m not coming back. I need to sit down and talk about it and see what’s best for me.”

Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said the Dynamo could have done a better job trying to get the ball into the Galaxy goal.

“We didn’t play as well as we wanted to,” Kinnear said. “We had a chance to win the game. I think we played better in the second half then in the first, but you need to score a goal.”

IN PRO HOCKEY, the Ontario Reign defeated the Stockton Thunder, 3-1, at Citizens Business Bank Arena Saturday.

Derek Couture fronted the Reign a 1-0 lead at 6:26 of the first period. C.J. Stretch feathered a pass to Couture as he straddled the goal line and the winger found a sliver of daylight between Olivier Roy and the post to record his third goal in four games and seventh of the season.

A fluke goal knotted the game at 1-1 in the second period, as a rebound bounced off of Reign defenseman Vincent LoVerde and into the Ontario net. Matt Foy was credited with the goal for Stockton.

Jesse Fratkin gave the Thunder a 3-1 lead in the third with the first two goals in his professional career. The first came as he forced a shot through a scrum which limited Darcy Kuemper’s range.

The recent Brown University graduate scored his second goal just eight seconds after exiting the penalty box and carried a long pass from Tony DeHart unimpeded to the Ontario net.

Olivier Roy stopped 31 of 32 shots for his second win in as many nights, while Kuemper suffered his first loss of the season with 20 saves on 23 shots.

Shel Segal is president of Arcadia, Calif.-based Segal Communications and a columnist for the Fontana (Calif.) Herald News. He can be reached at ssegal@segalcomm.net.

Advertisement