Unranked Byram Hills Shocks Section 1, Cops Class A Title

Briarcliff Falls to Keio in Class B Championship

By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays

Generally, when BYRAM HILLS soccer Coach Matt Allen, the dean of Section 1 soccer, tells you something, you tend to believe him, based on knowledge and expertise of the situation. But heading into the Section 1 Class A tournament it appears as though the Bobcat coach might have been sending out some very basic, typical coach speak; also known as a smokescreen, when he essentially said his club was probably the fourth best team in Class A prior to the tourney: Before the Bobcats went out and did the unthinkable.

Behind a pair of second-half goals from Billy Gillespie and Chris Amenedo and an unyielding defensive presence, Byram Hills snagged its eighth sectional championship since 2006, scratching and clawing its way to a 2-0 Class A title victory over second-seed Rye at Lakeland High Saturday.

Did anyone really see this coming? Knocking off fifth-seeded WALTER PANAS, 3-1, in the quarterfinals was one thing, prior to blasting state-ranked (No.1) Tappan Zee out of the water in Wednesday’s 4-0 semifinal rout. The Bobcats were unranked by state pollsters, so the pollsters didn’t see it coming, but the body of work often matters in critical situations, so it should come as no surprise that Byram Hills won its first sectional title since 2017 (excluding the 2020 Covid chip #WhichStillCounts).

Waves upon waves of former Bobcats (14-2-4) have clinched league, sectional, regional and state titles, so some of what happened last week should have found its way past the smokescreen Coach Allen put out there prior to knocking off TZ, No.1 team in the state, which was also ranked nationally. Class A coaches were in total agreement that Tappan Zee was on an elite level, and everybody else was playing for second.

“This was a great run,” Allen admitted. “Without question, it’s the toughest road we ever took to a final. We beat four great teams.”

Allen praised the play of defender Connor Boekel, a mainstay on the back line.

“Connor was our man of the match,” Allen said. “He was an absolute brickhouse out there. He just cleared out all balls and played spectacular.”

Emmitt Wolland and Max Miller, who played the outside wingbacks, helped Boekel to hold Rye to just three shots on goal while the offense put a slight tilt on an otherwise even pitch.

“Billy Gillespie and Chris Amenedo led the offense,” Allen said. “They have been huge in this playoff run with both of them scoring in all four games.”

Amenedo has a team-high 22 goals as the Bobcats head into the NYSPHSAA tournament to face the Section 4 champion on Nov. 1 (7:15 pm) at Yorktown High School.

The Bobcats have now won sectional titles in 2006-07-09-10-14-17-20 and 23.

“2020 is the Covid Cup, not a sectional title per se, but I have alumni who count it, so I roll with it,” said Allen, who, in his 23-year tenure, has won one state title (2007) and three regional crowns (2006-07-14).

The troika of Jacob Berland, Harry Boyd and Greg Shrayer locked down the midfield.

“I thought they really controlled the tempo,” Allen said.

Byram Hills handed the Dutchmen their first defeat of the season when Amenedo (2G), Greg Shrayer (1G, 1A) and Billy Gillespie (1G) all found the back of the net. Zach Pero and Jacob Berland each had an assist while G Gavin Nichols (7 saves) was sensational between the pipes.

Against Panas (11-6-1), Koky Duarte spotted the Panthers a 1-0 lead, but the Bobcats sat back and countered when given the chance to do so, leading to three unanswered goals by Ryan Nichols, Gillespie and Amenedo. The 2023 campaign was among the finest in Panas history, but it could not figure out a way to finish consistently in the title game.

No.7 LAKELAND was ousted in the quarters on PK’s to finish at 10-6-2. Lakeland M Connor Daly, from Silvio Ahmataj, forced overtime, which led to penalty kicks where Rye asserted itself.

“One of the toughest losses of my career,” Lakeland Coach Tim Hourahan said.

CLASS B

It’s becoming a regular thing over there at BRIARCLIFF. The then-defending sectional champion Bears, ranked No.1 in NYS, were among the finalists for the Section 1 title for the fourth time since 2017. And so Saturday’s showdown with No.2 Keio should come as no surprise to followers of the top-seeded Bears, who were then denied entry into the NYSPHSAA regionals when the Unicorns snagged their ninth Section 1 title behind a 3-2 championship victory.

Keio’s Akihito Asaba scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute, his second of the game, off a corner, denying Briarcliff its 39th straight win. It was the first time the Bears allowed three goals in a game all season long.

Briarcliff sniper Emilio Abud-Chalita, in his fourth season on varsity, scored the game’s first goal at 37:30 of the first half, his 17th of the season (one off the school record set by Matt Sturman in 2019). Keio leveled the score at 19:04 of the half and then jumped ahead 2-1 just three minutes later off Asaba’s first tally.

At the start of both halves, the Bears (17-1-1) came out and controlled possession and set tempo, but the Unicorns tilted the field after the first five minutes and began to dictate and put the ball in, on or near the frame consistently while thwarting the Bears’ attack time and time again.

Keio (15-2-1), which lost to Briarcliff by a 3-1 count in the regular season, used its tactical, disciplined approach to possess and milk clock in the second half, until Abud-Chalita fueled some momentary hope for the Bears, tying the game and the school record for single-season goals (18), heading home a corner kick from Nathaniel Rhode with 7:24 remaining in the second half.

It wasn’t long before Asaba struck again, sticking the dagger in the Bears off a well-placed corner kick, ending a magical run by the Bears.

“We played a great game,” captain Miles Prosperino said. “We came into the game with a game plan and we executed it perfectly. We came out hungry and scored an early goal to take the lead. Keio did very well keeping possession of the ball and scored three great goals as a result. I am very proud of my teammates for the work they put in throughout the season and the fight they had throughout playoffs. The future looks very bright for Briarcliff soccer and I know that the boys will return to the finals next year.”

In the Bears’ 4-0 semifinal win over No.5 Rye Neck, Abud Chalita (1G, 2A), Sebastian Lai (1G),  Connor Dornau (1G), and Nathaniel Rohde (1G) all scored while G Toby Young made just three saves to chalk up the shutout.

“We are incredibly proud of what these boys have done for Briarcliff Soccer in the past two seasons,” Bears Coach Brandon Beck said. “They had a legendary season going 38 games unbeaten over two seasons. They were back to back league champions in a very competitive league. They played in two sectional finals and won one in 2022. They have been No.1 in the state for the majority of the season.

“As a coach, it took me 12 seasons to experience my first Section 1 championship,” the coach added. “These boys experienced two in their careers and we return the players to be able to be successful again next season. These seniors have lifted this program up, achieving incredible accolades along the way, but the biggest measurement of our success is not the wins or the losses or the championships. It is the respect that they have shown for each other and the program. It is the discipline they practiced every single day. And it is in their passion for the game of soccer. They have played against everyone who has tried to beat them as they have been unbeaten so long. They played with an incredibly large bullseye on their backs for two seasons. They have made a legendary impact on Briarcliff Soccer.”

No.3 CROTON pulled off a 1-0 quarterfinal win over No.6 Bronxville behind a Gavin Cunningham goal from Jordan Gould. Tiger G Cole Cross made four saves in the shutout, but suffered a 5-2 semifinal loss to Keio despite goals from Louie North Liam Stapleton, thus ending one of the best season’s in school history at 12-4-1.

CLASS AA

State-ranked (No.9) SOMERS fell in the semis, 2-0, at state-ranked (No.4) Eastchester, which went on to tie top-seeded Scarsdale for championship, but the state-ranked (No.1) Raiders advanced on PK’s and will represent Section 1 in the state tournament. The Tuskers (15-3-1) reached the semis after Monday’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over CARMEL (8-7-3) behind goals from Manny Perez and Hyugo Todo, who was injured and unable to play against Eastchester, which made a big difference. The Rams were not thrilled with the officiating in this one, but they gave Somers fits for 80 minutes. Eastchester also knocked then-reigning champion YORKTOWN (8-10) from the tourney in a 5-2 Husker loss.

Scarsdale knocked No.9 FOX LANE (9-7-1) off, 5-0, in the quarterfinal round.

CLASS AAA

No.3 OSSINING had its season cut short in the semifinal round, falling 2-1 to second-seeded North Rockland, which went on to finish second to top-seeded Arlington, ranked No.4 in NYS.

Alex Lenaghan (1G, 1A) and Randy Vallejo both scored for the state-ranked (No.14) Pride in their 2-0 quarterfinal win over Port Chester. Brian Heras (from Vallejo) scored in the Pride’s loss to state-ranked (No.7) North Rock.

CLASS C

Former NYS champion HALDANE (9-7), the No.2 seed, was bounced from the tourney in overtime by No.3 North Salem, 1-0, in the semis. Blue Devil G Ronan Kiter (12 saves) had a busy day between the pipes as the Tigers dictated the tempo throughout and limited Haldane to just five shots on goal. North Salem would eventually be crowned champions in a 4-0 blowout of top-seeded Leffell.