Hometown Report: Local youth teams qualify for Futsal nationals; Terry hits long shot (see video)

The kids are going to Kansas.

Boys and girls youth teams from the Stanislaus United Soccer Club will travel to New Century, Kan., later this month to take part in the United States Futsal Federation National Championships.

The Stanislaus United teams, boys 12 and under and girls 9 and under, compete in what’s known as futsal, a form of soccer. They compete on a hard court, smaller than a football field, with a ball that has about 30 percent less bounce than a regulation soccer ball. It’s a 5-on-5 contest including a goalkeeper.

The local teams already have enjoyed great success. The boys won a national title in 2014 and both the girls and boys took home national crowns last year in San Jose.

Last December, the Stanislaus United teams won regional titles and qualified for their return to Kansas. They practice in Modesto.

“These kids practice four days a week and are extremely dedicated,” club director Antonio Reyes said. “They really put in the work.”

Terry’s buzzer-beater – Blake Terry let fly from about 35 feet as the final buzzer sounded. Swish!

Terry, a graduate of Waterford and Modesto Junior College, is responsible for what already is being called the most incredible ending to a Life Pacific College basketball game in school history. His miraculous shot gave his team a 67-66 win over UC Santa Cruz last Monday night at the Life Pacific gym in San Dimas.

With two seconds left and the ball 94 feet from the Life Pacific basket, Edgardo Campos inbounded to James Noble at halfcourt. Noble, in midair, received the pass and tossed to his right to Terry, who was standing in front of the Life Pacific student section. Terry, the grandson of former Modesto High, Stanford and NBA standout Claude Terry, took one dribble to his right and put up the shot that found nothing but net.

The crowd mobbed Terry, who has enjoyed a good season that suddenly got a lot better. Life Pacific is 13-6 overall.

“It was like a scene from a Hollywood movie,” coach Tim Cook said. “You couldn’t have scripted it better.”

National champion youth boxer – Modesto’s Andre Flores, 9, dominated Lundy Webster of Ohio to win the 65-pound Silver Gloves national title Saturday at Kansas City. Flores (13-0), a member of the Red Shield Salvation Army Boxing Club, won the decision over three one-minute rounds.

The Modestan advanced to the final on Friday with a win over a New York boxer. Earlier, he won the state Silver Gloves title and a regional to qualify for the trip to Kansas City. Flores is ranked No. 1 in the nation in his class.

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Hometown Report: Local youth teams qualify for Futsal nationals; Terry hits long shot (see video)."