Following the 20th annual Garces Holiday Soccer Festival, Dec. 18-19, junior Cassidy Hutchins received a plaque for the 2009 Rick Martinez Sportsmanship Award.

This is the first year Garces officials implemented the award; its stated purpose is to encourage the CIF’s goal of “Pursuing Victory with Honor.”

Officials named it after San Joaquin Memorial’s boys’ coach, Rick Martinez. Out of 250 teams this year, Martinez is the only coach to have participated in all 20 Holiday Festivals, always displaying the good sportsmanship the award will honor.

Based on the recommendation of coaches, players, officials and fans, Rogelio Ramirez of Farmersville High School won the initial sportsmanship award.

There were two Honorable Mentions as well. Each received a commemorative plaque from the tournament.

An official in the Girls Bronze Division noted Cassidy Hutchins’ good sportsmanship and positive attitude toward teammates, opponents and the officials set the tone for both teams for the entire match, making it an intense but enjoyable game to officiate.

“Cassidy had a great weekend at the Garces Tournament,” coach Jennifer Tatum said. “The game that showed most of her sportsmanship was against Righetti.

“This was a very physical team who played tough against Cassidy,” Tatum added. “She responded to their ‘physicalness’ with a ‘bigger person’ attitude. She did not drop to their level of play. She continued to play the way she knows how, which is physical, but fair. I’m not surprised she won the award.”

Hutchins was quick to acknowledge her teammates after hearing of the award.

“I was honestly kind of surprised I got the award (honorable mention),” Hutchins said. “It was quite an honor because it’s out of the whole tournament and it’s a really big tournament. I thought my teammates were especially great against Righetti.

“I thought the girls showed good sportsmanship because they didn’t lower their level of play because of the other team’s physicality,” Hutchins continued. “Instead of retaliating and playing dirty, we continued playing physical yet fair.”

The other Honorable Mention was given to Brian Goncalves, the JV Boys Coach of Tulare Western High School.

FC Girls’ Soccer ’10 from Tyler Duerr on Vimeo.

For more information, read the Girls’ soccer sport shorts, 2009-10, and watch the slide show.