Columbus Express Soccer Club’s 03 Boys Orange team won the top bracket at last weekend’s Cincinnati United Elite Invitational. Team members include, front row from left, Alejandro Hernandez, Thang Mang, Will Holliday, Alex Gill, Alex Mendez, Landon Evans, Keegan West, Greyson Newhart; and back row, coach Dalton Clement, Alejandro Alvarez, Branson Young, Nolan Ferguson, Cooper Goss, Gabe Baker, Miguel Saldivar and Eli Miller.
Submitted photo
Four Columbus Express Soccer Club teams were crowned champions at two separate tournaments last weekend.
Behind four shutouts by Nolan Ferguson and a two timely free kick goals by Gabe Baker, the 03 Boys Orange captured the top bracket at the Cincinnati United Elite Invitational. CESC opened the weekend with a 4-0 win over Star SC led by two goals apiece by Alex Gill and Baker. Against Indiana’s SCSA, Gill’s tally was the difference in a 1-0 victory. The next morning, the Express blanked RAP Academy 5-0 behind two goals by Cooper Goss and one each from Alejandro Alvarez, Keegan West and Gill. In the championship match against Cincinnati West, Baker was able to find the net in the 85th minute off a free kick. The back line of Will Holliday, Branson Young, Alex Mendez and Baker, combined with Ferguson’s management between the pipes kept teams at bay. Team members include Alvarez, Landon Evans, Joe Hefner, Holliday, Mendez, Miguel Saldivar and Young of Columbus; Goss, Eli Miller, and West of Indianapolis; Gill and Alejandro Hernandez of Shelbyville; Ferguson and Thang Mang of Whiteland; Baker of Seymour; and Greyson Newhart of Greensburg. The team is coached by Dalton Clement.
Also at the Cincinnati United Elite Invitational, the 2010 Boys Orange team steamrolled the competition thanks to an offensive explosion, including a four-goal performance by Arthur Oliveria and a hat trick by Noah Corney. The Express rolled to a 7-1 victory over Cincinnati United and followed with a 10-0 win against Michigan’s Plymouth SC. In the final group play game, CESC punched its ticket into the trophy round with a 6-1 pouncing of Wapakoneta SC. In the final, Tempest FC was unable to keep pace with Coach Dylan Andrew’s squad, with the Express finishing off the weekend with another 6-1 win. Team members include Columbus residents Miles Broaddus, Corney, Sidhanth Kashyap, Canyon Long, Eli McIntier, Oliveria, Sujay Pingale, Jake Roeder, Joel Smith and Liam Wiltsey; along with Seymour’s Braylon Floyd.
In Indianapolis, the 2013 Boys Orange team posted a 2-0-1 record at the Indy Burn Cup. In the first set of matches against teams from Bloomington FC, the 2013’s tied 0-0 due to stingy defense a combined shutout by Tyler Means and Souma Halvorsen. In the second tilt with Bloomington FC, Express rallied behind two goals apiece from Halvorsen and Nolan Bush to a 4-0 win. In the final match, Express knocked out host USAI 5-2 behind goals from Sullivan Honeas, Lennon Gill, Boden Keele, Means and Halvorsen. Team members include Ethan Chen, Lennon Gill, Halvorsen, Honeas, Jalen Jones, Keele, Means, Camden Miller, Lincoln Peppin and Quinton Perry and are coached by Alec Doyle.
Columbus Express Soccer Club’s 2012 Boys Orange team won its age group at last weekend’s Indy Burn Cup. Team members include, front row from left, Rowan Honeas, Nolan DeClue, Ayumu Kadowaki; and back row, Abram McCarty, Landon Brandt, Drew Dobbs, Blake Plummer, Ricardo Ayala and coach Ike DeClue.
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The 2012 Boys Orange showcased stellar defense and quality goal-scoring to secure the top spot in their age group at the Indy Burn Cup. The 2012s started the weekend by defeating Bloomington FC 4-0 with two goals from Blake Plummer and one apiece from Rowan Honeas and Landon Brandt. The goalkeeping duo of Drew Dobbs and Nolan DeClue secured the shutout. The afternoon match with FC Pride found Express in the winners column again with a 4-1 result, thanks to Plummer, Brandt, Honeas and Ricardo Ayala finding the net. The Express were able to secure the top spot in the division with a 4-0 win over USAI in part to a hat trick by Brandt, goal by Honeas, and combined shutout by Dobbs and DeClue. The 2012 Boys Orange team is comprised of Ayala, Brandt, DeClue, Dobbs, Sebastian Guillen, Honeas, Ayumu Kadowaki, Abram McCarty, Plummer and Barrett Shinn and is coached by Ike DeClue.
