Submitted photos – The Sequoia FC U13 girls placed first in their bracket at the weekend tournament.

The U13 girls team led the way on a busy weekend for Sequoia FC at the Rogue Memorial Challenge in Medford, Ore.

All nine of the local travel club’s teams traveled for the tournament, with five of them placing in the top three in their brackets.

None, however, outperformed the U13 girls, who took home the championship in dramatic circumstances.

“Looking back on where this team began in August of 2023 to now is extremely rewarding,” team head coach Taylor McMillin-Bianucci said. “Every single one of the athletes had a role throughout the season and this tournament specifically.”

The Sequoia girls won their championship game by a score of 2-1, with the winning goal coming less than three minutes from time.

It was a fun way to end the spring season.

“I am sad to see the season end but excited for August of 2024 and to continue the improvement,” the coach added.

The Sequoia U10 boys team, meanwhile, placed second in their bracket, with the club’s U14 boys, U15 girls and U19 boys teams all taking third.

Jace Weigand had a big tournament for the U10 boys, scoring seven goals over the weekend, including two in the championship game.

Wyatt Hall also turned in a standout performance in the final, according to head coach Gian Tuccori.

The U14 boys won their third-place game by a score of 3-0.

“We played some really beautiful soccer this weekend,” head coach Francisco Medina said.

The coach praise the play of Dakota Grosveld, whose decision making was key to the team’s success, while goalkeepers Owen Ingram and Mason Beauchamp and the team defense allowed just seven goals in their five tournament games.

Check out some of the weekend highlights below, including a successful PK by Abigail Pimentel and shootout winning saves by Peyton Graney and Aidan Sloper …

The Sequoia FC U10 boys

“Our attacking midfielders and forwards were relentless when creating opportunities and scoring 11 goals this weekend,” the coach added.

The U15 girls won their third-place game on a penalty kick shootout and came up clutch when they needed it most.

Goalie Peyton Graney secured the dramatic win in the shootout with a big save.

The Sequoia FC U19 boys also won their third-place game against NSS Kaos in a PK shootout.

The team was 2-2-1 in tournament play while playing against mostly older players.

“I am really proud of our young team doing so well against older competition and successful teams,” head coach Eddie Garcia said. “11 of our 14 players that traveled are technically U17 players playing U19.”

The Sequoia U16 boys and U19 girls both placed fourth in their brackets, with the U11 girls and U12 boys both pacing fifth.

The Sequoia FC U14 boys

The Sequoia FC U15 girls

The U19 boys

The U16 boys fell 2-1 in their third-place game but the experience should stand to the young players moving forward.

“It was a great learning experience for us playing in the highest level of competition in the tournament,” head coach Mario Garcia said.

The U19 girls also impressed in tournament play, none more so than McKinleyville High senior goalkeeper Caitlyn Canepa, who will play at College of the Redwoods this fall after being named Big 4 Goalkeeper MVP in 2023.

“Caitlyn Canepa had a great weekend in goal and also won goalie wars,” team head coach Isaiah Dairo said.

The U11 girls finished tournament play with a record of 2-2 and have come a long way since the start of the season.

“The group showed tremendous progress throughout the season,” head coach Brian Bianucci said. “We played great soccer and competed exceptionally hard and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I am looking forward to the next season.”

The U12 boys

The U19 girls

Aidan Pryor, Giovanni Martinez and Wesley Ask all impressed for the U12 boys, who battled all the way in tournament play and competed in the toughest tourney bracket in their age group.

“This group continued to show effort and their overall individual and team improvement each game despite the score,” McMillin-Bianucci said.

The weekend tournament was the final action of the season for six of the nine club teams.

The U19 girls and boys and the U16 boys will continue training throughout July, with both of those boys teams scheduled to compete in the Davis Legacy College Showcase at the end of July.

“It has been extremely rewarding watching these teams develop and improve throughout the year,” said McMillin-Bianucci, who also serves as at the club’s Director of Coaching. “Thank you to the families for your time and dedication to Sequoia FC. Thank you team managers for your time in helping coordinate games and events. Thank you Sequoia FC coaches for your work on providing a positive learning and fun environment for these athletes. Thank you to the Sequoia FC board and administration for the time you put in behind the scenes. Thank you to the Sequoia FC athletes.”

The U11 girls