DeLand’s Spec Martin Stadium will host state championships on Thursday, Saturday
By Official Florida FC
The FHSAA boys soccer state finals kick off on Thursday afternoon in DeLand. Six games over two days – Thursday and Saturday – will determine which programs get to write their name in in in the state record book.
Here are the storylines we have our eye on as the games kick off.
Dash to DeLand
Earlier this season we asked whether this year’s playoffs would be more like 2022 or 2020? It appears more like the latter, a year where the state’s No. 1 team was eliminated early, a few surprise programs played their way to the final and a longtime playoff participant finally won a state title.
This year’s contests feature two first-time finalists and two other programs in Fort Myers and Naples who haven’t made it this far in 24 and 28 years respectively.
Conversely, seven-time state champion Plantation American Heritage and Gulliver Prep are also one win away from adding an eighth title.
Panama City Beach Arnold and Tampa Jesuit, the two teams who were No. 1 in the state for most of the season, are not in the Class 5A state final. Instead, it’s American Heritage – the program that appeared to be the third-wheel in the two-team final for most of the season if rankings are to be believed – who will play Naples on Saturday afternoon.
Class 7A was even more wide open. Reigning state champion Weston Cypress Bay was bounced in the first round, the top team in the classification, Jacksonville Mandarin, also lost in the first round and the finalists are two first-timers.
FHSAA BOYS SOCCER FINALS
Class 7A: Lithia Newsome (21-2) vs. Clermont East Ridge, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Class 6A: Viera (20-0-1) vs. Fort Myers (21-2-1), Saturday, 4 p.m.
Class 5A: Plantation American Heritage (18-1-2) vs. Naples (16-4-3), Saturday 1 p.m.
Class 4A: Gulliver Prep (15-4-2) vs. Orlando Bishop Moore (23-2-1), Thursday 7 p.m.
Class 3A: Fort Lauderdale University School (19-1-1) vs. Winter Park Trinity Prep (14-2-1), Thursday, 4 p.m.
Class 2A: Fort Myers Canterbury (18-3-2) vs. Hobe Sound Pine (13-3-2)
First time for everything
Neither Lithia Newsome (21-2) nor Clermont East Ridge (18-3-1) had advanced to a state semifinal before this year. Saturday, the two will play for the Class 7A state championship.
Newsome has scored goals for fun this year. The Wolves scored two in a season-opening loss to Tampa Plant.
Allen Ware’s side has scored 100 more in the 22 games since – including putting five past Plant in the Region 2-7A final on Feb. 15. Senior Stephen Gilbert has 22 goals and eight assists in only 17 matches. Sophomore Greyson Ayer has 22 goals and 13 assists in his first varsity season.
Despite their stellar records, neither team breached the Class 7A top five in the FHSAA rankings until the last release of the regular season.
East Ridge lost in three consecutive regional finals before breaking through this season.
Senior forward Rafa Enriquez leads the line with 15 goals. Gabriel Perez (11 goals, two assists) and junior Amir Taylor (12 goals) also lead the attack. And, if any of those three are ineffective, the Knights can call on freshman forward Elijah Cordner who has provided seven goals and three assists in 15 games.
Brevard’s Best
Viera is the fifth different program from Brevard County to advance to a FHSAA state final following Melbourne, Melbourne Central Catholic, Merritt Island and Rockledge.
The Hawks are the only unbeaten boys soccer team in Florida this year. Viera has not played a match beyond Brevard County this season. But, victories over previously unbeaten New Smyrna Beach in the Region 2-6A final and St. Thomas Aquinas in the state semifinal showed their pedigree.
Viera trailed with 90 seconds to go in the semifinal and won in regulation.
Viera played in the 2022 state final, narrowly losing to Doral Academy. This year, the Hawks were not going to be denied a chance to make amends.
Lee County is coming for the crown
Standing in Viera’s way is a Fort Myers (21-2-1) that is back in the state final for the first time since 1999. The Green Wave lost in penalty kicks in the Region 3-6A final last year and, obviously, dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian upending life in Southwest Florida in September.
Fort Myers trailed twice, but beat Niceville, in Okaloosa County, in regulation in a Class 6A state semifinal on Feb. 18.
Ricardo Lewis scored two second-half goals in the semifinal. The senior has 18 goals in 18 games this season.
In Class 1A, Canterbury School is in the final for the third straight season. The Cougars (18-3-2) have run through the district, regional and state playoffs by a 30-0.
Though Canterbury has been shutout three times this season, the opponents who pulled off that feat – Class 5A finalist Naples, Class 4A finalist Bishop Moore and Miami Columbus, one of the top seeds in Region 4-7A – says as much about the quality Canterbury will bring to Thursday’s Class 2A final.
Ten different Canterbury players have scored at least four goals this season. Leading scorer Riley Johnson (17 goals, 21 assists) scored a brace in the 2021 state final to help Canterbury win its first state championship. Canterbury faces Hobe Sound Pine in a rematch of the 2022 state final.
Prerequisite for Mr. Soccer
We’ll know in a few weeks who wins the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Soccer award. One person who can play his way into the conversation is Fort Lauderdale University School senior Rafael Guerra.
He has scored or assisted 55 of the Sharks’ 91 goals this year. His 35 goals are second in the state, behind Crescent City’s Jesus Cruz, and University School is in the state final for the second time in four years.
Failing to win a state championship doesn’t automatically disqualify someone from being named Mr. Soccer – 2022 winner Braden Masker’s Panama City Beach Arnold squad lost in the 5A state final – especially since six out of the last ten Mr. Soccer winner’s haven’t.
Considering Guerra has scored seven goals in the FHSAA playoffs and produced a hat trick in the Sharks’ 5-0 win over Jacksonville Bolles in the semifinals, if Guerra can find the net against Trinity Prep, he would be the heavy favorite.
