By Thomas Grant Jr.
For the seventh consecutive year, the SCISA Class 4A boys’ soccer title will remain at Cardinal Newman High School.
Last Saturday at Saint Sebastian Stadium, the Cardinals edged Porter-Gaud 1-0 to complete the 7-peat. It was also the 12th title under head coach Will Eudy and 14th overall for the program.
The lone goal occurred in the first half when Quade Wilson positioned Jasper Westfall for a header into the net. Goalkeeper Ben Smoak held the Cyclones scoreless for the 15th shutout of the season.
Afterwards, Eudy said the final score was in keeping with the “unique” nature of this senior class.
“I think we talked about playing our best 40 minutes first and I think we did that,” Eudy said. “Credit to them, they made some changes and kind of got the game the way they wanted to play. A little bit hectic and a little more direct than what we wanted. Dealing with number 11 upfront for them is a pretty big challenge.
“We left some chances out there. If we put those away, it’s a different game, I think. But we battled and made big save after big save.”
The same two schools also competed in the girls’ final. This time, Porter-Gaud came away with the 1-0 victory over Cardinal Newman, which was making its first state final appearance in a decade.
