Daily Pilot Cup: ‘Perry’ scores two in win

COSTA MESA — The kid with the yellow cleats is Jerry Rosete. He goes by a different name on the soccer field, though.

“He likes to be called Perry,” said Taylor Strook, his College Park Elementary School teacher.

Strook heard “Perry’s” name called a couple of times at Costa Mesa High Wednesday.

Rosete scored twice to lead College Park to a 4-1 victory over Lincoln in a third- and fourth-grade boys’ bronze division opening game at the Daily Pilot Cup.

Someone on Lincoln’s side said Rosete must be a good player because of his bright cleats.

Rosete stood out early in the second half against a team playing a kid down and with two second-graders.

Rosete gave College Park the lead for good in the 27th minute. He beat the keeper, sneaking a left-footed shot toward the far post to break a 1-1 tie. Rosete celebrated with the College Park’s seven other position players on the pitch.

Lincoln just had seven total. The odds were stacked against Lincoln when only eight players showed up to the game.

The eighth played goalkeeper.

“We had two kids on the team who didn’t show up. I don’t know why,” Lincoln Coach David Rovsek said. “We had two second-graders pulled up to the team because in [the third- and fourth-grade division] we have a gold, a silver and a bronze [team].

“It’s almost impossible to win with one man down.”

Lincoln played even in the first half. The team wasn’t waving the flag, even though Jonathan Monday’s mom at times frantically waved a flag on the Lincoln sideline.

She was acting as a linesman, helping the field referee with calls. Monday gave his mother a reason to put the flag down and raise her arms.

Monday scored in the 11th minute, a minute after Giovanni Arce scored the game’s first goal. The rest of the way, College Park’s defense clamped down on Monday.

When it was over, Monday left feeling blue.

“I got three more bruises on my [right] leg,” Monday said. “This is my good [leg].”

Rosete showed off both legs.

After Kobe Lopez scored for College Park in the 43rd minute, Lopez fed a wide-open Rosete a sweet pass deep in the box five minutes later.

Then, Rosete quickly finished the play with his right foot.

A parent asked College Park Coach Christian Contreras who scored the goal. He looked around and the players on the bench helped out, saying it was “Perry! Perry!”

“That’s what my sister just called me,” Rosete said and the name just sounded better than Jerry.