Cibola twins causing problems for opposing teams

Every kid dreams of having a twin and playing pranks on friends, teachers and parents. When Cibola soccer twins Enrique and Francisco Urenda were little, they made it a reality.

When the two were in kindergarten, they'd frequently prank their innocent teachers.

“If the teacher asked me a question, (Francisco) would answer,” Enrique Urenda said. “We'd help each other out. Like if I didn't know it, he would answer. Ever since then, they never put us in the same class. They didn't want us together.”

That changed when the pair moved from Los Angeles to Yuma before their freshman year, and although their ability to prank their teachers has diminished, their skills on the soccer field have not.

Francisco Urenda has 12 points on the year, second only to the Raiders' leading scorer, Enrique Avila, who has 21.

“They're involved in a lot of our scoring,” said Raider coach Mike Fritz. “They're involved in a lot of things, they create with their passes. It might not be the assist, but it might be two passes before the goal.”

Fritz's first impression of the twins as freshmen was their raw knowledge of the game.

“They both have a great feel for the game,” Fritz said. “They're making runs, getting behind defenses. They're soccer players, they can play anywhere on the field. They've played a variety of positions this year.”

That ability to play multiple positions has been key to Cibola's late-season success, including a 2-1 win over San Luis.

“As a soccer player, you have to understand the complete game,” Fritz said. “You can't just focus on one position. Enrique's been playing some left back for us, some right back for us. He's also played up top in an attacking position as well. Francisco's moved inside and out. That's just because they both just understand the game. They see the game and play the game very well.”

Cibola started the season with some tough one-goal losses, but have turned a new page of late.

“We practice a lot and we just say keep our head up, keep our head up,” Francisco Urenda said.

Since losing 2-1 at Kofa on Dec. 12, Cibola is 5-1-1.

“It's great,” Fritz said. “As they've come through the program, their freshman to their sophomore year, they played a little bit last year as sophomores on varsity as we needed them too, but we've watched them develop as players and as people. It's been fun to watch.”