Diminutive Mendez is huge on soccer pitch

Yerry Mendez is a 5-foot-5, 129-pound bundle of energy that powers the Fallbrook High School soccer team and annoys the you-know-what out of opponents.

A free spirit with tremendous talent, Mendez likes to win only more than he likes to have fun. Mendez's fun can sometimes come at a rival's expense.

"He's the type of guy that will dribble the ball past you, stop it, and dribble the ball past you again and then meg you (roll the ball right between your legs) and go on," said Fallbrook head coach Jorge Rojas.

"He's at a level on the field where he can maneuver and run circles around people and,...