Huber can't stay away

"After this year, this is really it, I'm done," Huber said. "I couldn't leave the boys without a coach."

Over the past three decades, Huber has shown to be one of the better soccer minds in the area. He stresses a possession game based upon strong first-touch skills and multiple passes to set up the attack.

It's the preferred style of play for a number of soccer fans, a fluid style that can be beautiful to watch. Huber's positive coaching style earns him instant respect because he coaches for the kids. You can take all the great attributes of a high school coach, and Huber possesses every one of them. He figured he was riding off into the sunset three years ago after leading the Cherokees to the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs. However, he coached the girls' soccer team last year for the same reason he took over the boys' job this season.

Huber served as the school's athletic director before giving up the position after being diagnosed with throat cancer earlier in the spring. During his radiation treatment, Huber, 63, lost 38 pounds because he couldn't swallow without extreme pain. And when he did put food down, he developed acid reflux.

The good news is Huber's doctors told him everything is OK for now; however, Huber will continued to be monitored for the next five years, at which time the cancer could reappear any time. This isn't the first time cancer has affected the Huber family. Huber's daughter, Alison, was only 19 when she died of leukemia in July 2001.

Huber firmly believes that Alison wouldn't have died had she not undergone chemotherapy. He said his daughter's condition worsened and was never the same. That's the reason why Huber said no to chemo.

"I wouldn't take chemo; I'd rather die," he said. "I swear to God, Alison died from that. I firmly believe she would be alive today had it not been for chemotherapy."

No parent should ever have to go through the pain of losing a child. Huber said he still thinks about Alison everyday. She would've turned 25 Dec. 4. For Huber, life is all about taking it one day at a time.

Emanuel Lee can be reached by e-mail: emanuel@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.