Area prep soccer stars join forces to compete at national championships
Five Washtenaw County players from four area schools will play for Vardar Academy at the U.S. Soccer Academy National Championships in Carson, California next week. From left to right, Rob Dolot, Ugo Uche, Mario Teixiera, Jonathan Jebson and Peter Jacobson.
Just as Spain takes the field against Netherlands to compete for the world championship at Soccer City in Johannesburg, Mario Texiera (Huron), Rob Dolot (Greenhills), Jonathan Jebson (Dexter), Peter Jacobson (Greenhills) and Ugo Uche (Pioneer) take to the pitch at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California to play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Championships for their club team, Vardar Academy.
Though Dolot and Jacobson and Division 4 Greenhills never played against their club teammates during the fall, Uche, Texiera and Jebson clashed heads many times during the high school regular season in SEC play and MHSAA playoffs. All five were all selections for the 2009 AnnArbor.com All-Washtenaw County Team and they joined forces this spring club season for Vardar Michigan’s U18 team.
Vardar qualified for the national championships by emerging as one of four group winners at a 32 national playoffs tournament in North Carolina June 26-29. Vardar and another Michigan based team (Derby County Wolves), will compete with teams from California, Georgia, Maryland, Washington, Texas and North Carolina in a tournament beginning Sunday and culminating Saturday, June 17.
Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by e-mail at petercunningham@annarbor.com or by phone at 734-623-2561. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.