The #1 Rye Boys Soccer team clinched their second consecutive Section 1 Class A championship on Saturday, November 1, as they smoked #2 Pleasantville 5-0 in the finals. The Garnets opened the floodgates in the second half, expanding a 1-0 halftime lead by four to run away with the victory on the big stage.
“That was as comprehensive an effort as we could have asked for, especially in a championship match,” Head Coach Jared Small told MyRye.com on Sunday. “We absorbed some pressure early in the match and again in the first 10 minutes of the second half, and yet we never panicked and we committed ourselves thoroughly. We did a lot of mental preparation in the days leading up to this one, and it was evident that our boys trusted in themselves. I love how confidently we played, and it truly feels like the group got every detail right when it counted the most.”
All of Rye’s consistent scorers from throughout the season got on the board on Saturday. Kasen Scarperi accounted for the only goal of the first half plus another one in the second half in the midst of the Rye onslaught, and he was joined on the scoresheet by Alex Rojas, Felix Wismer, and Eddy Kehoe.
Will Alexander picked up the clean sheet in goal, having to make enough saves and clearances to keep him busy, including and especially with the game at 1-0. He also got some help from Christian Hofmann on an acrobatic goal line clearance early in the game on a glorious chance for Pleasantville. Small described Hofmann’s play with the following: “by many accounts, [he] was the man of the match.”
Rye adds to their storied history in men’s soccer, which rose to prominence in the 1970s. The Garnets captured an astounding nine sectional championships (and one state championship) between 1969 and 1979 under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach Lou Gallo. However, It would then be another 40 years before the Garnets rose to the top of Section 1 again in 2019, and they have now managed to do so three times in their past six tries. This recent victory over Pleasantville marks their first back-to-back sectional titles since 1978 and ’79.
Rye (16-1-3, 3-0 postseason) advances to the Regional semifinals on Wednesday, November 5 against Section 9’s New Paltz at Goshen High School. Kickoff is slated for 5pm, and the winner of the match will play the Long Island champion for a spot in the State tournament.
