Gulliver Prep ties state record with 9th FHSAA boys soccer championship
AUBURNDALE – Move over Clearwater Central Catholic.
Gulliver Prep repeated as Class 4A boys soccer state champions at the FHSAA Finals Saturday at Lake Myrtle Park, turning back Orlando Bishop Moore 1-0 in the title game.
Miami Gulliver Prep players drench their head coach Scott Davidson with a Gatorade bath after winning the Class 4A boys soccer state championship on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale with a 1-0 win over Orlando Bishop Moore.
Bill Kemp
The win not only gave the defending champions back-to-back titles, but Gulliver now has nine boys soccer state championships, tying Clearwater Central Catholic for the most in state history.
“We went to California this year and played a whole bunch of teams there,” Gulliver Prep head coach Scott Davidson said. “It was a very meaningful experience in terms of growing as a team and growing as a group. We played some wonderful teams and I think that kind of catapulted us to the level of play that we are playing at.”
After a scoreless first half, Gulliver scored the game’s only goal when Cosme Salas launched a corner kick toward the Bishop Moore goal and Jacob Lombard fielded it and delivered the score.
“I felt like we had a little bit of an advantage there and it worked out pretty well,” Davidson said.
Montverde Academy girls showcase their trophy after winning the Class 3A state championship soccer title on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale.
Bill Kemp
The rest of the game was much like the first half, a defensive struggle for both teams. But when the clock struck zero, Gulliver Prep players reacted with a wild celebration which saw a mob of players crashing through the fence to reach the stands and celebrate with fans.
“We’ve had a lot of clean sheets this year and I felt we could hang onto the lead,” Davidson said. “We had two or three other chances where I thought we were going to finish and make the margin a little bit better. But I felt good about this.”
Davidson said he felt this year’s championship came harder than last year’s title.
“We felt a lot of pressure game after game, we didn’t lose all year,” Davidson said. “Teams kind of did what these guys did tonight, which is kind of sit back on us and made it a challenge. It mentally wore on us a little bit, but it was also super fun, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Class 4A
Orlando Bishop Moore 4, Tampa Academy of the Holy Names 0
Bishop Moore three-peated as girls soccer 4A state champions Saturday afternoon, knocking off Academy of the Holy Names 4-0.
“They are all hard,” Bishop Moore head coach Amy Getz said. “The first state title was just amazing and the second was even harder going against American Heritage, and then to do it again, is just crazy.”
After a scoreless first half, Bishop Moore picked up two goals in the 41st minute of play, coming just 30 seconds apart.
Clair McEniry delivered the first one followed by Raelin Miller. Amelia Miller delivered the final two goals to put the game out of reach midway through the second half.
Class 3A
Tampa Prep 4, Downtown Doral 2
Asher Jones, a senior South Florida signee, scored two goals to lead Tampa Prep to a 4-2 win over Downtown Doral and capture the 3A boys state championship.
Trailing 1-0, Downtown Doral knotted the game 1-1 on a rocket shot by junior Jose Uzcategul with 8:28 remaining in the first half. The score stood through the first half.
“It got us back into the game. I am sorry we lost but we have to wait until next year,” Uzcategul said.
Tampa Prep (19-1-2) regained the lead off a penalty kick by Danny Alvarez at the 27:16 mark to go up 2-1.
Miami Gulliver Prep players celebrate in the stands with fans after crashing through the barriers to join family, friends and fans after winning the Class 4A boys soccer state championship on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale.
Bill Kemp
Downtown Doral tied the game for the second time 2-2 off a goal by Juan Pablo Gorrn – a 20-foot liner that found the back of the net at the 24:29 mark of the second half.
“It was a great game and we fought hard to get to this point,” said senior forward Pablo Gorrn, who is signed with Barry University in Miami. “We are very proud of how far we’ve come.”
But coming down the stretch Tampa Prep, which won its eighth state championship, pulled away on the second score by Jones with 23:58 left.
Tampa Prep iced the game at the 16:23 mark on a score by Luka Zujovic.
Montverde Academy 1, Merritt Island Edgewood 0
Montverde picked up a second-half goal at the 18-minute mark from senior striker Estefania Gonzalez to deliver back-to-back state championships for the program.
“It was a cross from the winger and it was a really good, with open space, and it was a goal,” Gonzalez said. “It was a great moment and super-exciting to go win back-to-back championships. Thanks to my teammates, we made it happen.”
Rhyanne Pascoe to seal the Class 3S girls soccer state championship Saturday morning. It was the fourth state title for the program, which also won back-to-back titles in 2018-19.
“This was a super-exciting final,” Montverde head coach Robbie Aristodemo said. “We played them in the regular season, and we tied 2-2, so we expected it to be a one-goal game. All the credit to Edgewood. If you are a fan of soccer and state championships, you probably couldn’t have picked a better final.”
Class 2A
Tampa Carrollwood Day 3, Maitland Orangewood 0
Tampa Carrollwood Day won the Class 2A boys state title Friday, shutting out Maitland Orangewood Christian 3-0 at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale.
Carrollwood (18-2-1) took a 1-0 halftime lead on goal by junior Jacob Zager, who received the pass from Greg Tilzer.
Juan Garanton and Tilzer scored a goal apiece in the second half to ice the game and deliver the first boys soccer state title to Carrollwood.
Carrollwood outshot Orangewood 14-8, which included 8-2 output in the second half.
Lakeland Christian 1, St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep 0
Lakeland Christian girls won their fourth consecutive girls Class 2A soccer state championship on a windy day at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale Friday.
Lakeland Christian (23-3-1) played solid defense and picked up a second-half goal from junior defender Halle Johnson at the 39-minute mark.
LCS outshot Shorecrest 13-9 while Vikings junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Marotz picked up four saves with her shutout.
