The American Heritage-Delray boys, Somerset Academy-Canyons girls and Benjamin girls all needed come-from-behind victories in the state semifinals and were rewarded with appearances in the state championship games at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand this weekend.
American Heritage-Delray senior forward Jake Stansbury scored early and late as the Stallions boys (11-4-3) stunned two-time defending state champion Gulliver Prep 3-2 in the Class 3A state semifinal on Tuesday. They advanced to play Lake Highland Prep (12-4-2) in the state championship game on Friday.
Somerset Academy-Canyons girls (18-2) scored five unanswered goals in the second half in defeating South Walton 5-1 to reach the first state championship game in school history. Somerset will also play Lake Highland Prep (15-2-1) for the Class 3A state title on Friday at 7 p.m.
Finally, Benjamin’s girls ousted four-time defending champion Lakeland Christian with five minutes remaining in the second overtime to advance to the Class 2A title game for just the second time in school history. They fell 2-1 in the 2022 title game to Lakeland Christian. The Buccaneers head to the Class 2A state final against Jacksonville Episcopal (14-5-3) on Saturday.
Heritage-Delray pulls off upset
Gulliver Prep (19-2) had won back-to-back Class 4A titles before dropping down a classification this year. The Raiders were ranked No. 8 in the nation, according to MaxPreps, while American Heritage-Delray was ranked 182nd in the country.
The Stallions, who picked up their fourth consecutive win, will attempt to win a fifth state title, the last coming in 2018.
“The first half was not pretty for us,” said American Heritage-Delray boys coach Victor Sanchez by phone. “We struggled to stick to the game plan. It was possibly nerves, being on this stage, and facing a prestigious program like Gulliver. They are not only one of the best teams in the state, but one of the best in the country, and to beat them is a huge accomplishment.”
American Heritage-Delray took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute when Stansbury received a pass from Montgomery Byers and deposited it into the right corner.
Junior goalkeeper David Derk recorded four key saves in the first 15 minutes of the contest and added three saves in one sequence in the second half while seated on the ground.
The Raiders battled back to take a 2-1 lead on goals by Ryan Fischer and Jorge Gouvea.
Reminiscent of their regional final 3-1 victory over Somerset Academy-Canyons, American Heritage-Delray rallied from behind to win.
“Our goalkeeper (junior David Derk) was able to stop three clean chances,” Sanchez said. “We knew he’d have to play an incredible game, and he did. It was probably the best game I have seen him have here. After we took the lead, it was just a matter of holding them.”
The Stallions tied the game on a penalty kick by sophomore striker Julian Braverman in the 65th minute, and 30 seconds later, Stansbury struck again on a clinical finish on a Raiders’ defensive giveaway for the 3-2 lead.
“When they came back to take the lead, I’d like to say I wasn’t nervous, but they are a great team,” Stansbury added. “Jake made the penalty kick, and then (senior) Ryan Ashley made a great defensive play, and I was able to get the second goal. We knew we had the game in our hands at that point. It would be so meaningful for this team to win a state championship, and we have that chance.”
Derk admitted it was one of his best performances in goal.
“Going down 2-1, I just knew I had to keep it that way to give us a chance to win,” Derk said. “It was, hands down, one of my best performances. It would mean everything to win a state championship. We have been fighting the entire year for this.”
Somerset Academy-Canyons girls pound South Walton
It was a slow start but a strong finish for the Somerset Academy-Canyons girls’ soccer team as they made their first appearance in the state final 4.
The Cougars ranked No. 10 in the country, scored three times in 12 minutes of the second half against Santa Rosa Beach South Walton to put the game away as sophomore Alexia Hansen netted a second-half hat trick to send the Cougars to a 5-1 win.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, junior Sephora Joachim blasted a 30-yard free kick in the 46th minute to tie the game at 1-1 for the Cougars. From there, Hansen took over as she scored her first of the night and gave Somerset the lead for good when she received a pass from senior Noelle Simmons and scored on a breakaway. Hansen assisted on the next goal, a cross to Nicole Lejarazo for a 3-1 lead, and finished off the night with two more tallies for a team-leading 29th goal.
“We dominated the whole first half, and they had the one chance, and they scored on that. Sometimes the game is cruel like that,” said Somerset Academy-Canyons coach Oscar Narvaez by phone. “We went in at halftime and felt we were the much better team, and I told them we just needed one (goal). Once we put the first one away, it was three goals in the next 12 minutes.”
Hansen said the team was frustrated after the dominant first half, where they had the ball for more than 70 percent of possession.
“It was so frustrating because in the first half, we couldn’t put anything away,” Hansen said. “We had a lot of opportunities, and they scored on their one chance off a corner kick. I said after we won districts that we were going to win states, and I believe we can.”
Benjamin rallies, wins in OT to reach girls state final
Senior striker Vanessa Zito had a goal and an assist as Benjamin rallied from behind and needed two overtimes to defeat Lakeland Christian, 2-1, to advance to the Class 2A state final against Jacksonville Episcopal (14-5-3) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Zito, who has five goals and four assists for the Buccaneers (10-5-3), tied the game at 1-1 in the 62nd minute on a penalty kick after a handball call in the box. Her assist to junior Sienna Barboni whose strike into the upper left-hand corner in the 95th minute, was the game-winner.
“I always volunteer to take penalties and felt more nervous than usual when taking this one because of the nature of the game and being down against a strong team late in our season,” said Zito, who is 3 for 3 from the penalty spot this year. “I told myself to just take a deep breath and aim for my usual spot…our team isn’t stranger to being down and having to work through the mental adversity of that as we have had to do in other playoff games.”
Cardinal Gibbons blanked in 3A girls semi
Junior Lael Hill had two goals and one assist as Lake Highland Prep blanked Cardinal Gibbons 4-0 in the Class 3A state semifinal. Senior Riley Bassin and freshman Lara Almeida also scored goals, while senior Rory Brown and junior Anika Vidrine each contributed an assist for Lake Highland Prep (14-2-1).
Hill, the team’s leading scorer with 26 goals, got things going in the 11th minute for the game-winning goal. She also picked up a goal with eight minutes remaining in the contest. The Chiefs (13-6-2) played the final 30 minutes of the contest a player down after the team’s second leading scorer Abigail Gillette received a double yellow and was sent off.
Highlands boys tripped up in 1A semi
Highlands Christian Academy, making its first trip to the Class 1A state final four since 2001, came up empty.
Highlands Christian (16-7-2), who won fall state championships in 1982 and 1985 and last reached the fall state semifinals in 2001, dropped a 3-0 decision against the top-seeded Stuart Pine School. The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak in a game that featured both teams called the Knights. In the 2001 state semifinal, Highlands Christian lost to Tallahassee Maclay, 3-2, before moving to the FHSAA winter soccer competition after adding football in 2003.
Pine School (17-1), winners of 12 consecutive games since a 5-0 loss to Dwyer, got a first-half brace from senior João Azevedo and iced the game on a goal by sophomore Max Lehman in the 75th minute.
Sophomore goalkeeper Rony Exavier came up big with five key saves to keep the Knights in the game. Pine School outshot Highlands Christian 9-5 in the match.
HEAT routed in first trip to state final four
Perennial state power St. John’s Country Day routed the South Florida HEAT 6-0 in the Class 1A state semifinal. It was the first appearance for the HEAT girls in the state final four.
“Unfortunately, we ran into one of the top teams in the country,” said South Florida HEAT coach Bob Bemis by phone. “It is a great experience for the five graduating seniors who were all very excited just for the opportunity to play.”