Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, March 2, 2008

Local soccer players face tough choice: Academy soccer or prep soccer?

Because Matt Berry and Josh Petosa chose to play for Crossfire Premier Academy, the two standout soccer players won't play their senior seasons at Snohomish High School

By Dan Sargent and Tim Hintze

 They are captains, but Matt Berry and Josh Petosa won't get the chance to serve.

The two Snohomish High School seniors have impressive soccer resumes. They earned starting spots on the varsity as freshmen and were part of the Panthers' 2006 state championship team.

They both have accepted college scholarships from NCAA Division I schools and, to cap off their prep careers, were elected captains for the upcoming season.

But neither will play for the Panthers this spring.

Forced this season to choose between playing for their school or for their Crossfire Premier Academy soccer teams, Berry, Petosa and junior Zach Johnson -- Snohomish's starting goalkeeper last season -- all chose the latter.

"It would have been nice to be a four-year lettermen, captain and make the All-Wesco team again," said Berry, an All-Wesco North first-team midfielder in 2007.

Crossfire's Under-18 and U-16 teams, which are based in Tukwila and draw talent from throughout the Northwest, play in the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA), which was formed in the fall of 2007. The USSDA is a 64-team league with squads throughout the country.

The Crossfire season corresponds with the Washington high school season and the academy does not allow its players to play for their school teams, Crossfire U-18 and U-16 head coach Bernie James said.

Berry, who has a soccer scholarship to the University of Washington, and Petosa, who has a scholarship to play at Gonzaga, are on Crossfire's U-18 team. Johnson, along with Marysville-Pilchuck junior Elwood Sevon, Jackson sophomore Austin Wyatt and Monroe sophomore Jose Garibay, play for Crossfire's U-16 squad.

All chose to play for Crossfire because the academy provides a higher level of competition and prepares them for the next level -- be it college or pro.

"High school was fun," Garibay said. "I like the academy, it gives me many more opportunities to further my playing career."

But along with opportunities gained, there are opportunities lost.

"I was disappointed because high school soccer is a lot of fun," Petosa said of having to skip his senior season. "You get to play in front of your friends you go to school with everyday."

James understands the difficult decision the two seniors had to make, but he said the payoff will be worth it.

"I am only sad if they think they are missing out on something," James said. "Bottom line is I am going to do everything to help these kids continue their soccer careers.

"High school soccer is not a great feeding ground for players like football, baseball or, somewhat, basketball is."

For Berry and Petosa, there is another loss -- the honor bestowed on them by their Snohomish teammates.

"It is hard to turn down being a captain of your high school team," Petosa said.

While disappointed, Snohomish boys soccer coach Dan Pingrey sees the loss of three key players as an opportunity for others on his roster.

"It is like anything in life," he said. "When you lose a leader, it makes someone else have to step up and fill that role."

Marysville-Pilchuck must fill the void left by the loss of Sevon, the Tomahawks' leading goal scorer last season.

"I am not opposed to the high level of soccer," former Marysville-Pilchuck coach Kyle Suits said. "I am just not in favor of putting kids in the situation of having to choose. What a great time high school soccer is, when you can get 300 to 400 of your peers to come out and watch a game. It is an atmosphere you cannot duplicate in a select game."

Jackson and Monroe part ways with a pair of talented sophomores.

"I think it is a little bit disappointing for him and the school," Jackson coach Brett Norton said of losing Wyatt.

At Monroe, Garibay received honorable mention on the All-Wesco North team last season as a freshman.

"We are losing probably the most talented player to come through Monroe High School in the last 10 years," Monroe coach Ryan Schaeffer said.

In all, 40 players from 25 high schools in Washington are affected by the two Crossfire teams. Two of them -- a senior at Highline and a junior at Kamiakin -- opted to leave Crossfire and play for their high school teams.

It's a decision other young athletes likely will have to face in the future.

"I want my son to have the opportunity to play high school and have that experience," said Teddy Mitalas, the girls soccer coach at Shorewood High School and the Crossfire Sounders women's coach. "If they are still mandating that kids cannot play high school when mine get there (Crossfire), my kids may have to find another team."

The policy of not permitting players to play high school soccer is Crossfire's, and not the stance of the USSDA.

"It is up to the clubs at this point," said Neil Buethe, who is senior manager of communication for the U.S. Soccer Federation, which oversees the USSDA.

Crossfire Academy and Washington Premier F.C., which is based in Tacoma, are the only Washington soccer clubs in the USSDA. In contrast to Crossfire, Washington Premier players are allowed to play for their high school teams. Washington Premier's season has a scheduled break during the spring boys high school soccer season.

"We think high school is an integral part of the kid's youth," Washington Premier U-16 team coach Reece Olney said. "The governing body of the academy (USSDA) left the decision up to each club to use their own discretion."

Crossfire opted to take its break during the harsh weather of the winter months and starts its season in March.

"This was by choice and the club chose the break when we did," James said. "One (reason), because of the weather. Two, we felt this was the best chance to get ready for the rest of the season and to be at our peak with playoffs in the summer."

Crossfire players are allowed to play other high school sports during the spring -- baseball, track or golf -- but Crossfire has asked that if there is a conflict, the athletes are committed to the academy team first.

So why can Crossfire's players run track, but not play high school soccer?

"One of the reasons is burnout and they are playing more high-quality games and more quality practices," James said of playing for Crossfire. "It also counts down to a more manageable number of games."

For now, the USSDA's position is that the decision is up to the individual clubs, but that may change in the future.

"When the season is over the clubs will meet and discuss what went well and what did not go so well," Buethe said. "I am sure the high school topic may come up."

For now, six former Western Conference athletes can only watch their former teammates play high school soccer.

Said Berry: "I will still support them in anyway I can."
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA