The Man In The Middle

Creativity and attention to detail are part of Gor Grigoryan’s plan of action. It’s a strategy that Grigoryan doesn’t stray from during a match while patrolling the midfield for the Crescenta Valley High boys’ soccer team.

“It’s the job of the midfielder, and if you don’t have that, then you are not a midfielder,” said Grigoryan, a senior. “Being a midfielder is like being the brain or the engine, and your vision has to always be real sharp.”

A sharp mind and the ability to visualize nearly every possible situation on the field have gone hand in hand for Grigoryan and the Falcons, who are attempting to win the program’s first Pacific League championship and make a second consecutive appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs.

There are other indicators that Grigoryan admits have helped him turn in a successful performance following an 80-minute contest.

“Without the other 10 players on the field, you aren’t going to be creative,” said Grigoryan, who has recorded eight goals and seven assists for 23 points through Friday. “You have to be able to go out there and make your own forwards and your defenders happy.”

With Grigoryan paving the way, the Falcons (9-7-2 and 8-3-1 in league) have found ways to pick up come-from-behind victories in the closing moments of contests.

The Falcons chose to go in a new direction after they advanced to the second round of the playoffs last season. They hired Kiel McClung as their new coach and altered the team’s method of attack by having Grigoryan more involved in the midfield.

“We have a good group of attacking players,” said McClung, who was the boys’ coach at Lancaster High last season after serving the 2007-08 season as an assistant at Alemany. “When I came in, I had been told briefly about certain players and that we would have a good one in Gor.

“Those are the kind of players that you want around. In a big-time situation, you want to be able to get the ball to him. He can then either make a good pass or put the ball in the back of the net.”

The Falcons have responded to McClung. Though Crescenta Valley struggled during the start of the season, it began to sparkle when league competition began just before Christmas. Grigoryan and the Falcons have continued to elevate their level of play.

They keenly developed a knack for late-match heroics.