Soccer stars get one last hurrah

It was an emotional week for high school graduates, as they realized it might be the last time to hang out with school friends and teammates before college or jobs get in the way.

But three of the state's best soccer players get to put off those thoughts for at least a week.

Mariah Hobbs of Bishop Gorman, the Review-Journal Class 4A Girls Soccer Player of the Year, and two-time Southern Nevada champions Julie Owens and Ashley Mosley of Centennial will start their final tournament as teammates Monday in the U.S. Youth Soccer Region IV tournament in Lancaster, Calif.

Their Players Soccer Club under-18 team is among 15 boys and girls teams from the valley with players younger than 19 competing this week for a chance to advance to the national championship tournament next month in Massachusetts.

It has been two decades since a Southern Nevada team has advanced to the national event.

"I just want to end it on a good note," said Owens, 17, who will play for UNLV this fall.

"We really want to win at least two of our first three games so we get a chance to play in the bracket for the regional championship. It would be great to get to the national tournament.

"But if we don't, it's been a great run."

Owens, Hobbs and Mosley began club-level soccer together on an under-11 team and have been nearly inseparable since. The trio has remained intact while playing for three clubs, except during the high school season when they met as rivals.

"Friendly rivals," said Hobbs, who will play for the University of San Diego, which finished the past season ranked 16th nationally.

The past three high school seasons, Centennial ended Hobbs' hope of a state title.

The former Bulldogs stars wear their championship rings — Mosley wears two for winning the past two years.

Not to be outdone in bling, Hobbs slips on her ring for being a doubles player on Gorman's state tennis championship team this past season.

Hobbs and Owens are midfielders; Mosley plays left defense. They are in sync like a perfectly executed attack, combining to create complete sentences that usually end in three-way, blended laughter.

They insist their friendships won't wane when they get to college in three distinctly different climates.

Mosley accepted a scholarship offer from Utah over Rutgers.

"Rutgers is just too far," said Mosley, 18, who won the 400-meter dash at the state track and field championships this year.

Since being 11, the young women — all honor students — have been coached by Saeed Bonabian. They've won state club championships in seven of eight years and advanced to the under-14 age-group regional final.

"High school soccer is fun," said Hobbs, 18, a Gorman co-valedictorian. "It's a good break from club play."

Club-level sports have surpassed the competitiveness and overall talent of prep leagues in the past couple of decades in soccer and volleyball.

College coaches in those sports look more to regional and national tournaments for players.

Over the years, the women have competed together in nine states from Florida to Hawaii.

Nearly a decade of paying for club fees, uniforms and travel have paid off with scholarships for the three families.

More than money, though, has been invested by the players. Except for three months off for the high school season, their club has practiced or competed nearly every other day of the year.

While Mosley and Owens have faced Hobbs in high school play the past four years, they will face each other for the first time when the Rebels host the Utes on Nov. 18.

It will be the longest Mosley and Owens have been apart since fifth grade. They can't remember going more than a week without being together.

"We'll have our game faces on, but as soon as the game's over, we'll have a big hug," Mosley said.

Owens added, "And then we'll call Mariah."

Cell phones and texting will make it easier for the three to remain joined by their feet and hearts.