By Ashlea Hellmann
Deceased rapper Tupac would be proud of all the “California Love” on the University of Louisville soccer team.
Sophomore midfielder Othaniel Yanez, sophomore forward Gerardo Chavez and redshirt freshman midfielder Simeon Steward all hail from Southern California, a place where head coach Ken Lolla says he hit the recruiting jackpot.
The California trio grew up playing soccer together and were members of the Pateadores, a club team that won the 2005 U.S. Club Soccer National Championship. Yanez and Chavez even played at the same high school, Moreno Valley High School, and lived within five minutes of each other.
The guys were first noticed by a former assistant coach who made a trip out to California late in the recruitment game for a club tournament. Yanez, who was impressed with the coaching staff and the facilities, was the first to become a Cardinal, after initially showing interest in St. Louis University.
“Saint Louis kind of fell through for O.T. and we brought him out here for a visit,” said Lolla.
Later in the year Yanez told his coach that his best friend, who was at Lindenwood University, and another fellow teammate, from Saint Louis University, were unhappy at their schools. Yanez said that he was excited when he found out that he would be reunited with his former teammates as Cardinals.
It would be understandable for the team to be excited about the new additions, considering their long list of achievements.
In high school Steward was named a three-time first-team All-Citrus Belt League selection, a Brian Jiminez Memorial Scholarship winner and trained at Jurgen Kantenwein Fussball Schule in Stein, Germany.
Chavez scored 25 goals and dished out 10 assists on his way to All-League and All-County honors as a junior in high school as well as finishing out his senior year with eight goals, 13 assists and second All-League honor.
Yanez had 10 goals and five assists his senior year of high school and a game winner in his first ever collegiate game against the University of Pittsburgh.
It is an understatement to say that the three are close. The teammates share a house with two other players, where they spend much of their limited free time. Yanez and Chavez claim that they use their third floor kitchen to perfect their cooking skills.
“We like to keep it a secret though,” said Yanez.
The pair don’t just have similar likes, they have similar appearances as well.
“Sometimes we get asked if we are brothers,” said Chavez.
The group does have their differences though.
“Gerry is the most outgoing and Simeon has had the most success in the classroom,” said Lolla.
And while Chavez and Steward are getting adjusted to their new Louisville home, Yanez has already slipped into his role as the responsible one. Yanez was considerate enough to bring Coach Lolla’s bag over to him during the interview.
Coach Lolla couldn’t be happier to have the Californians joining forces on his team.
“All three are wonderful kids and great for the team,” said Lolla. He said the three bring a sense of humor and competitive spirit to the team. “They are all special kids. I expect them to have a good career here and to have a significant impression in other peoples’ lives.”
