South Tahoe Futbol Club boys end season with success

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Six South Tahoe Futbol Club (STFC) boys teams advanced to championship games at the 28th annual Come Up for Air (CUFA) soccer tournament last weekend in South Lake Tahoe, with two teams claiming first-place finishes.

The U-13 STFC Coyotes, coached by Jose Del Rio, captured the Tallac Division championship with a 3-2 win over Reno Apex. The middle school-aged team went undefeated in its four tournament games and outscored opponents 15-7.

The U-10 STFC Seagulls, coached by Paul Cotter, won their team’s first-ever tournament title with a 4-0 win over Mammoth on Sunday in the Freel Division. The team won all four of its games and outscored their opponents 24-3.

In other action, the STFC U-9 boys, U-12 boys, U-16 boys, and U-17 all advanced to their age group’s respective championship games. The U-17 Elite boys, coached by Kevin Mariscal, lost in a penalty kick shootout but closed out an impressive spring season.

The high school-aged team, which features several members of the STHS boys varsity team that won the Nevada state championship last year, also won the NorCal Premier League Gold division this past spring by finishing league play undefeated.

CUFA attracts over 450 teams annually and provides an economic benefit of $2.5 million to area businesses. This year's tournament went over two weekends, with girls playing first, then this past weekend was the boys' action.