| PETE
CLARKE - SIERRA STAR
SUBMITTED
Defensive player Brittany Erin Gorman clears the ball during
Tide American Cup competition.
SUBMITTED
Yosemite High Junior Brittany Erin Gorman won this year’s
“Central Sequoia Defensive Player of the Year” award for her gutsy play
for the Lady Badgers Varsity Soccer Team.
The coaches of the
Central Sequoia League voted Yosemite High School soccer player, Brittany
Erin Gorman, “Central Sequoia Defensive Player of the Year.” Brittany,
who is a seventeen year old junior, has started on the girls varsity team
for three straight years, “and has excelled each year,” said her coach
Sonia Mazaira. Coach Mazaira added, “she has been captain for two years
and has many leadership qualities.”
Brittany, who plays sweeper, co-captained the Badgers this year with Brittany
Zdneck. “They call us ‘Brittany Squared,’” laughed Brittany. “There are
four defensive backs. The other three players hold their positions. I
float around and keep everybody marked up. I’m sort of the last line of
defense before the goalie.” Brittany said that she loved making defensive
tackles.
Her ‘Lady Badgers’ placed third in league play this year, but earned first
place at the Roosevelt Tournament. In the CIF playoffs, they reached the
division semi-finals, where they fought to a zero/zero tie in regulation
play, only to lose the game in an overtime shootout.
Brittany has received a Central Sequoia Academic All-League award for
each of the three years she has played. Last year, she received an All-Tourney
award for the Lancaster-Palmdale Tournament as well as a CSL Second Team
All-League award. This year, her traveling league team, the Drillers,
was the All-State, Division III, Tide America Cup champions.
“It is because of players like Brittany that coaching is so enjoyable.
She strives for excellence and earns the respect of the players on the
team,” Coach Mazaira said.
Brittany attributes much of her success to YSH Coach Sonia Wazaira and
to Mark Wagner who has coached her since she first began playing ten years
ago in the Mountain Area Youth Soccer League. “He recognized my talent,
watched me get better and encouraged me to continue playing,” said Brittany.
“I worked hard this year and can’t wait until next year, because all our
players are returning.”
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