Strong Performance Makes Phillips No. 1 Keeper

In the 15th minute of their cross-town battle with , Kevin Sanchez followed his own shot and scored to put his team up 1-0.

Sanchez's goal was all goalkeeper Ryan Phillips needed.

Normally a reserve, the junior stopped nine shots  on his way to posting a clean sheet and securing a big league victory.

The performance was enough for coach Rory Gentry to declare him the starter for the remainder of the season.

For his stout presence in goal against Concord — not to mention he managed a goal of his own in their 8-0 rout of Mt. Diablo — Clayton Patch nams Phillips Athlete of the Week.

Coach Gentry vehemently asserts Phillips's promotion does not constitute a demotion for senior captain Christian Duenas, the team's original starter in goal. He just happens to have a problem most managers would love to have.

“This was not about anything Christian did wrong,” says Gentry of naming Phillips as starter. “He can also help us in the field, particularly as we’ve had lots of injuries ... We’re in a unique situation in that if Ryan is unable to perform or something happens, we’ve got an outstanding keeper in Duenas.”

For his part, Phillips has actually appreciated the opportunity to share time this year, especially in his first year on varsity.

“It’s good sharing time,” he explained. “When I’m off the field I get to watch Christian play, see what he does, analyze the game and see how our defense needs to play.

“As coach Gentry always says, it’s just a four-year process. The first year I played frosh, the second year I played JV and now this year I’m on varsity and next year I’m pretty sure I’ll have a starting position. “

Last Thursday, he was not afforded the luxury of watching from the sidelines and was tested by Concord from all angles.

His most impressive moment came as a Concord back dribbled up the right in what appeared to be an effort to set up a cross. Instead, seeing Phillips established at the near post, he took aim at the far edge of the frame.

The keeper responded with a dramatic stop, diving across goal and caught the ball on the fly, effectively saving the match for Clayton Valley.

Gentry had seen enough to cement his junior keeper in the starting role and utilize Duenas to sure up other gaps in the field.

From this point on, the stage will belong to Phillips as the Eagles embark upon their most critical stretch of their campaign. Gentry and his staff continue to emphasize the importance of focusing on one opponent at a time and sewing up the DVAL title, but it is hard to ignore the North Coast Section postseason looming in the not-so-distant future.

Phillips, who also excels in the classroom, believes his side is working remarkably well as a cohesive unit and will be up to the task when the time comes.

‘I think we've had some of the best players in the Bay Area, but we also play well as a team,” he says. “We’re like a family. We know what each other is going to do and we like to talk a lot. I think we’ll be strong in NCS.”