The Garden City Telegram

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Six Busters sign with NCAA D-I soccer programs

Published 2/13/2010 in Sports

By MIKE KESSINGER

mkessinger@gctelegram.com

All sitting on the same side of the table inside the Hall of Fame room at Perryman Athletic Complex, six members of the Garden City Community College men's soccer team signed a national letter of intent to continue their career at a NCAA Division I program starting in the fall.

The six members of the two most successful seasons in the Broncbusters' history were together, each wearing a hat from the college they will play for, talking, laughing, posing for pictures. Friday was a day for the soccer program to be proud of what lies ahead for these six members that helped lift GCCC to a higher level.

"I think it says a lot about our program, school and our athletic department — that the kids we bring in — we're able to teach them what they need to learn, then find them a place to play after here," GCCC men's coach Stephen Gorton said of the Busters who signed Friday.

All-American forward and the Jayhawk Conference player of the year during the fall, Federico Agreda, signed with Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. Brothers, Frank and Uzi Tayou both inked with West Virginia, and Alexis Dominguez, Mariano Leo and Adrian Loyacono will all play for Western Illinois in Macomb, Ill. The six Division I signings is the most players under Gorton to move on to the highest college level. All-conference midfielder Ulises Caba is expected to sign with Central Arkansas soon, and Jamie Rodriguez signed last semester with West Texas A&M, which is a NCAA Division II program.

"I never thought I was going to ever play in such a competitive conference," said Agreda, who will be playing in the Big East Conference at Syracuse. "I got the chance to, thanks to the program here at Garden City. I'm really excited."

Agreda, Dominguez, Leo and Loyacono, who are all from Miami, were a part of the Busters run to the NJCAA national tournament in 2008, when the team placed fourth. It was the first time in school history GCCC had been to the national event. The Tayou brothers transferred to GCCC in the fall. The Busters were 15-4 last season and 19-3-1 in 2008.

"We all came here together and I'm really happy I get to go on with them for my last two years of college," Leo said of moving on to Western Illinois with Dominguez and Loyacono. "It's great to move on with all my friends."

As they sat in the Hall of Fame room Friday, the Busters soaked in the moment with a few friends, girlfriends and Agreda's wife Vivianna along with Gorton and his fiance, GCCC women's soccer coach Andrea Fernandez and a couple members of the athletic department administration. With a lunch spread at the bar, the players sat around in the room talking and having their picture taken by their friends.

"I was kind of nervous," Dominguez said of the recruiting process. "It was a big decision and I'm happy that I just signed with this school. I think it's going to be great."

Dominguez, Leo and Loyacono will all play for the same coach Gorton had as a player and assistant at Western Illinois, Dr. Eric Johnson. Gorton said he encouraged his team members to take a look at the Leathernecks soccer program, but he didn't push them to make it their decision. The three Miami natives will join a Western Illinois program that is coming off the Summitt Conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA College Cup.

"It's going to be a great experience," Loyacono said of moving on to Western Illinois. "It doesn't happen very often when you get to go on with your friends from high school to a junior college, then a university. It's going to be a really good experience."

For Frank and Uzi Tayou, the decision to go to the same college wasn't what was the selling point as much as just having the opportunity to play at the highest collegiate level and to be in a conference as highly-regarded as the Big East. After attending high school in Las Vegas, Frank, who played forward for the Busters and earned All-Conference and All-Region played at Tacoma (Wash.) Junior College for one season. Uzi, a defender, also played at Tacoma before the brothers decided to transfer to Garden City for a year.

"I didn't really want to go to the same school as Frank," said Uzi Tayou, who also considered the University of Cincinnati. "I guess more than anything the (scholarship) was why I decided to go there. At Cincinnati I had a couple of options but the money wasn't good enough compared to what West Virginia was offering. But those were the top two schools I wanted to go to, West Virginia and Cincinnati."

Frank Tayou said he was more interested in West Virginia, but the Mountaineers weren't looking for a forward as much as they were other positions.

"I got in contact with the coach and he told me they actually needed a center back," Frank Tayou said. "I told them 'Oh, that's my brother.' And so they said 'Great, we might be able to get you too, then. I told them OK, and I'd check with Uzi and see what was going on.' He had his option and I had mine. At the end of the day we said OK."

"I think we've enjoyed the last season as far as being on the same team. I'm very thankful that God has given us the opportunity to play with each other for two more years."

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