By SPENCER BATES
ALLEGANY — In a rematch of the 2024 Section 6 Class C Final, the Allegany-Limestone boys soccer team took on Randolph, this time in the large-school championship of the former’s own season-opening tournament.
And just like that prior meeting, the sparks flew as the two heavyweights clashed.
The Gators took that 2024 Section 6 title with a 2-0 win in West Seneca. This time, in front of its own fans, they found it within themselves to dig out of a two goal deficit en route to a 3-2 win.
“We’ve had that resiliency throughout the program,” Allegany-Limestone coach Jon Luce said. “They punched us first. They punched us a second time. We didn’t flinch. We just came back, played our game. It’s about getting that first goal in the back of the net and then we just keep doing what we need to do to continue to gain momentum. … But credit Randolph, they’re a talented team. They got kids that know how to finish, they’re a dangerous team. Who knows, we’re both in Class C, we might see each other again in the future.”
The Gators secured a clean sheet in their opening-round game against Chautauqua Lake, cruising past the Eagles 8-0 on Aug. 28. Their hopes for another, like the one they notched over the Cardinals at the tail end of last season, were dashed within 10 seconds of game time as A-L found itself on the receiving end of a sucker punch delivered by Randolph’s star midfielder, Cooper Freeman.
Straight from the game’s opening kickoff, Randolph sent the ball forward, and after a handful of fortunate bounces fell his way, Freeman only had A-L’s Donovan Booker to beat, which he did with a low, driven effort.
Unfortunately for the hosts, things got worse not long after as Randolph doubled its lead, once again, thanks to Freeman. This time, he showed off his footwork, beating a couple A-L defenders and slotting home another.
The advantage was well and truly in the hands of the Cardinals, who were seeking to avenge the loss that cut their previous season short. But, as Luce noted, while his side conceded, they never flinched.
“Many of these players were on the team last year and we took a similar punch when we played in the semifinals here against Westfield,” Luce said. “We were down 2-0 going into the second half, so the pressure was really on. We didn’t overreact, we just kept our composure. We knew if we played our style of ball, the way we know how to, that we could battle back and get a goal back. We did the same thing tonight.”
Allegany-Limestone’s Noah Hatch (13) unleashes a shot from distance that beats the Randolph goalkeeper. Hatch scored the first goal for the Gators en route to their win over the Cardinals. (Spencer Bates)
In the minutes that followed Randolph’s second goal, the Gators shifted into another gear. They ramped up the pressure and kept the ball from spending much time in their own defensive third. Five minutes after they were put behind by two, they were rewarded for that effort as Noah Hatch popped up from the midfield and laced an effort from nearly 30 yards out that beat Randolph’s goalkeeper.
The Gators got the foothold they were so desperately looking for and much to the pleasure of Luce, they kept up the intensity. Five minutes after Hatch’s goal, Allegany-Limestone’s Cooper Wilczewski stood over a free kick from closer to the halfway line than the goal. But distance was not a factor for the star midfielder as he picked out the top corner of the Randolph goal with ease.
A stunning strike that brought out a collective exhale from the A-L faithful.
The sides entered the half knotted up at two apiece, but the momentum was very much on the side of the hosts as, after their goals in the first 10 minutes, Randolph struggled to sustain much on the A-L side of the field.
That trend continued in the second half as the Gators’ midfield was up to the task of keeping the pressure on the Cards. In particular, Hatch left his fingerprints all over the game and as one of the returners from last year’s team, it was exactly what Luce was looking for out of his experienced midfielder.
“He has his spurts every now and then, and when we need him to come up big, he shows up,” Luce said of Hatch. “He showed up last year in the regional game … and he did the same thing for us tonight. It’s just about relying on those past experiences, doing what you know how to do, and just putting your mark on the game. And he did that tonight. There are a lot of eyes around Cooper, which, rightfully so, he’s earned that. But we also have those supporting players who need to step up and it was Noah tonight.”
A-L and Randolph spent the majority of the second half going back and forth, with the former more methodical in its build up and the latter looking to jump on the counter attack. Ultimately, it was the Gators that landed the decisive blow.
With 19 minutes left to play, Mat Burnett drove the ball into the Randolph penalty area and took the brunt of a hard challenge after laying the ball off to Kaleb Reed, who found the target and the eventual game winner.
It was a nailbiter from start to stop. Both teams showed what they are capable of and proved they will be forces to be reckoned with come their respective league seasons. And as Luce noted, it is of the utmost importance his team prove they can play at that level and get challenged in such a way so they are the most prepared they can be when league play starts.
“It’s good to find teams like this to play against for these non-league games,” Luce said. “I was happy Randolph was able to join the tournament this year. They’re a very talented team. They’re well-coached. They’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in their league and probably coming into the playoffs, as long as the team can stay healthy. It’s good to have these types of games to prepare us the best that we can going into league play. We play in a very challenging league. So, all these teams that can step up and give us pressure is just that extra preparation that we have getting ready for league play.”
Next up for the Gators is a non-league clash away from home at Fillmore. That game is set for Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.
