Bengal Boys Reflect on Strong Soccer Season

The Blake Boys’ Soccer team’s season ended in heartbreak Friday, November 3 with a 2-1 overtime loss to South River in the state quarterfinals. Senior Gabriel Yetter dramatically tied the game with a free-kick goal from the midfield line with 12 seconds left in regulation. However, South River would score the game-winning goal in overtime, sending Blake home and ending the Bengals’ season.

Led by a large cast of contributors including senior centerback Erick Gutierrez Moreno and sophomores Oriol Tchatchou Fokam and Sebastian Sandoval Flores, Blake cruised through the regular season. The Bengals pulled off several impressive, hard-fought wins, such as those against Springbrook and Quince Orchard. Of the former, junior Xavier Blijd said, “It was definitely a shock and a really good comeback…going 2-0 down in the first half, and then getting three back on them in the first half and then getting two more after that.” Finishing at an impressive 8-4 record, Blake was good enough for the top seed in the 3A West II region.

Their success continued as they began the postseason with a 2-1 victory over Kennedy, followed by a clean sheet 1-0 win over Watkins Mill to clinch the region championship, the team’s second in three years. As a result, the team moved along to the state quarterfinals, reaching the top eight out of all schools in the 3A classification. The next round’s matchup figured to be evenly matched with Blake and their opponent, South River, both at four losses. Sure enough, the quarterfinal match was a thriller as Yetter’s last-minute game-tying goal brought the game into overtime. The goal “was a lifesaver,” said Blijd. “It was a breath of air, going into overtime and giving all our confidence back.” 

Unfortunately for the Blake Boys’ team, the senior’s heroics would not be enough, as the Seahawks scored the golden goal to end the game in overtime. “It was definitely heartbreaking. Definitely, because it was mainly off of a foul,” said Blijd. The loss was “no one’s fault, no one can really do anything, no one can prevent it. Losing like that after having something that clutch in a tough time…was definitely heartbreaking.”

Despite this season’s bitter ending, Blijd is optimistic about 2024, his senior year. “We’re a good, constant program. We’ve won the region twice in three years. Next season, we’re definitely holding up a regional championship again, and for Blake to just keep working and look for the goal of winning states next year.”