Tehachapi News

larger view larger view larger view larger view larger view larger view larger view

One team celebrated a championship while the other team celebrated a life.
The Lady Warriors won a third-straight South Sequoia League title in 2008, finishing with a 14-11-4 (8-1-1 SSL) record, while the Warriors (9-13; 2-8 SSL) paid tribute to a former classmate, Joe Eisenzimmer, who was with the team in spirit the past season.

Eisenzimmer was lost in a Kern River Memorial Day accident in 2005. As a tribute to his memory, the Warriors retired his soccer jersey number (#13) at their recent end of year awards banquet.

“We’re a close-nit small town and the achievements of our children mean a great deal to us,” said head coach Bruce Butler. “Even though Joe Eisenzimmer never played varsity soccer, with his talent he would have been a three-year varsity player for sure. We wanted to make sure that his memory lived on and we recognized that his spirit was with us.”

Tehachapi also celebrated an end-of-year league championship with the Lady Warriors, recognizing five athletes making first team All-League while Jami Lankin and Sarah Koenig were second team All-SSL selections. The Warriors had two players make the All-SSL squad in Tim Wheeler making first team and Erik McMullen garnering second team recognition.

The breakdown of the first team All-League selections for Tehachapi included the following athletes:
Chelsi Dominguez
The do-it-all Tehachapi athlete helped lead a defense to impressive numbers in the 2008 season, with Dominguez’s talent a welcomed compliment to an amazing pool of young ladies the past two years in Lady Warrior soccer. Dominguez helped lead a Tehachapi defense that gave up only five goals in league, including seven shutouts.

Kalley-Jo Goodell

One of Tehachapi’s most prominent threats, the do-everything senior’s polished game helped Tehachapi with 11 goals and 13 assists to end an amazing high school varsity career. Goodell’s leadership was a major reason that Tehachapi can hold the distinction of a third-straight league title in 2008.

Hailey Lankin

The SSL had one of the most tenacious and aggressive defenders in Lankin, the unsung hero for Tehachapi on more than one occasion who helped lead the Lady Warriors to 16 shutouts in 18 victories/ties, including a scoring action stint with two goals against Arvin in January.

Courtney Martin

In a third-straight SSL championship season, the senior keeper was magnificent yet again for the Lady Warriors, logging in 104 total saves with a goal-against average of only 1.093 per game. Martin registered 16 shutouts on the season to record a brilliant senior year at net for Tehachapi.

Tim Wheeler

The consummate teammate, the senior forward will be remembered not only for his talent but his ability to involve the players around him. Leading the team both in goals (11) and assists (8), Wheeler took both the highs and lows of his team on the weight of his shoulders and will be remembered by coach Bruce Butler as “a hard worker that would give everything he had in every game.”

Heather Galeano

Sensational sophomore forward Heather Galeano came on the scene firing on all cylinders her freshman year on the varsity team and continued her talented play to the 2008 season with seven goals and six assists to help compliment a potent Tehachapi attack. Galeano was hailed as one the league’s best, with her talent sure to impress the next two years in SSL play.