The Valley Chronicle - MVP Spotlight: Clara Leary and Antoine Sullivan
MVP Spotlight: Clara Leary and Antoine Sullivan
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3 min read
Tahquitz: She wants to be a high school counselor, he wants to put the titans on the map
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Clara thanks Coach Cordero for being there for her and the Lady Titans.[/caption] ■ By Corey Evan / Reporter It’s not easy being green in the San Jacinto Valley, what with all the red, maroon and orange competition out here. But as the coaches at Tahquitz High School have observed, grade 11 athletes Clara Leary and Antoine Sullivan do it well. That’s why they are the Titan nominees for our winter MVP spotlight. Clara Leary Leary, a team captain who helped kick the Lady Titans soccer team into CIF for the seventh year running and a 12-6-3 season for 2018-19, was nominated to our MVP Spotlight by head coach April Cordero. “Clara is a determined player and she tries, even though sometimes she doesn’t have 100 percent of her effort into things. But she does produce a lot on the field. She’s extremely athletic, she’s at everything, she’s a leader with the kids on the field.” Leary says her grandfather encouraged her to start kicking the ball around. “I started playing soccer when I was nine, ‘cause my grandpa wanted me to play and (he) coached me. He taught me everything I know! So I started kinda late.” Better late than never! Leary says playing soccer and laughing with friends, and her 30-yard free kick this season rank high on her list of favorite moments on the pitch. Humility and getting along with others are the big life lessons Leary has taken from playing for Tahquitz. “And not to get frustrated… if someone messes up, not to get frustrated with them. Just, like, help them.” While 2020 seems a way’s off for some, Leary already plans to study psychology. Her career objective: become a school counselor. Whether Leary will continue playing sports in college remains to be seen. Leary expresses her gratitude to Cordero for her nomination and for being there for the Titans when they needed her, as well as her grandpa for coming to every game. [caption id="attachment_16570" align="alignleft" width="300"]

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