Boys: Harrison exceeds expectations
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- November
- 19
If there’s one thing I learned about Harrison athletes during this playoff run, it’s that they all feel trapped under the shadow of football. Not just soccer either. I’d heard some rumblings in past years but it really came to light over the last few weeks. With each win, someone on Harrison would inevitably mention the program’s ascendance relative to the football program. Even in Coach Loughran’s postgame speech to a crowd of fans, one of the first things he did was explain to the Comsewogue people how good Harrison football was.
It makes sense. Harrison football is one of the greatest programs in Section 1. It’s won 10 sectional titles in 35 years, including five in the last 10 years. Two of those recent titles became state championships. Everyone who’s grown up in Harrison recently is well acquainted with Huskies football. Meanwhile, the rest of the athletic program pales in comparison. Including boys soccer.
So it was with extra pride that Harrison made it all the way to the state final. It was a very good team during the regular season, but regarded as behind Byram, Rye, Keio, Lourdes, and maybe Pearl River in Class A. To personally knock off three of those teams was a big deal. Consider that Rye beat Harrison in the regular season, Keio beat Harrison twice, and Byram was undefeated. After beating them, the Huskies beat Goshen and Owego to get to Oneonta.
Bryan Merlos and Andre Fonseca completely turned it on. Merlos had six goals and Fonseca had five goals and four assists in the playoffs. The defense, led by sweeper Makoto Sano, stepped it up big time. It picked up as many playoff shutouts as it had in the regular season (four).
Defensive midfielder Antonio Britto was huge in the state semifinal against Kenmore East. He shut down 20-goal scorer Casey Sheehan, just as he had shut down the best scorers on Owego and Goshen and especially Keio. Believe me, keeping Kaz Ikenaga off the board is no small thing. I wrote my story, which you can read here, about how Britto had happily sacrificed his offense, which he enjoys, to fill this role.
Merlos scored twice as Harrison advanced.
The final, as most of you know, wasn’t so happy. Harrison lost 4-0, and though the score was not indicative of anything, it was not a pleasant ending.
Seconds before halftime, with the Huskies down 1-0, Fonseca got tangled with an opponent. When he got up another Comsewogue player shoved him. A small skirmish ensued as the refs sent everybody back to their benches. They then issued a red card to Fonseca, ruling that he had kicked the original player as he was getting up, which is why he got pushed. Fonseca vehemently denied a kick, saying that he had just gotten tied up with the guy.
Unfortunately I didn’t see the play and can’t say for sure what happened. Our photographer got a couple photos of the incident. Not sure if you can determine anything but take a look and judge for yourself.
The red card forced Fonseca out of the game, not to be replaced. As Loughran aptly summarized, it’s tough to survive down a man against even an average team. Comsewogue was anything but average, and was already up 1-0. Harrison basically spent the first 20 minutes of the second half defending its own net. It couldn’t hold the dam forever, and gave up three late goals. The Huskies started arguing with the refs and picked up yellow cards. Clearly their focus was lost. Soon the game was too.
Hopefully they’ll be able to shake off that last ugly game and realize what a great feat it was to get where they got. And finally put a trophy next to all those football ones.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 10:41 pm by Jake Thomases. 
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I do not doubt the Harrison player’s account due to the fact that the refs were terrible up in Oneonta. Bias much AGAINST Section 1? I guess when you have such a strong section and come into States with 4 schools representing it is intimidating. The refs also called the North Salem games very uneven, with NS getting the shaft. Having said that the team with the most goals scored at the end of the game wins PERIOD. We were sad that JJ-EF lost on Saturday, pulling for Harrison after our loss Sunday and very happy for Bronxville. Section 1 was well represented and our players far and away outclass every section in the state.
I WAS AT THE GAME, REFEREES WHERE A DISGRACE TO SOCCER. THE HARRISON PLAYER WAS RED CARDED, NUMBER 25 OF THE OTHER TEAM RAN OVER AND VIOLENTLY SHOVED HIM TO THE GROUND AND HE WAS ISSUED A YELLOW CARD THE REFEREE CLEARLY BLEW THE CALL AND EVENTUALLY COST HARRISON THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. THE REST OF THE GAME THEY WERE COSTANTLY MISSING CALLS AND A SAD EXAMPLE OF SOCCER OFFICALS. SEVERAL FANS AFTER THE GAME VENTED THE ANGER WITH THE POOR OFFICALS, THEY RESPONDED BY LAUGHING AND STATING IT WAS A LONG RIDE BACK TO LONG ISLAND.
jake,
you raise an interesting point about football. it isn’t just harrison. other sports taking a backseat to football is a huge issue at just about every school in the county…and it doesn’t even matter how well the football teams do. football could have a winless season and the soccer teams could go undefeated and the football team will get better treatment, better coverage and better fan support. a lot of it has to do with the fact that football teams take 50 kids (thereby creating a built-in fan base)...but it is also because most football teams engage in separate fundraising activities which fly in the face of title IX. these funds that the football boosters raise are required under law to be shared with the other boys and girls teams, but this never happens. all the ADs know this, but choose to ignore it.
jake just out of curiosity why are you saying maybe pearl river; as if they cant even compete with the 4 teams listed. keep in mind they lost to a solid keio team in penalty kicks after outplaying them the whole match and allowing a ridiculous goal with 2 minutes remaining
Jake,
Again great job with the boys soccer. Is Jeff planning to do a similar wrapup for the girls? Rye and Briarcliff had great seasons as well.
jeff did u not see my question or something?
Jake,
A couple of comments about the Oneonta experience:
1. I agree with the quality of the hosting at Oneonta. Very, very well done. Losers could walk away feeling like they achieved something important (which all did), even though the weekend didn’t have the storybook ending they had hoped for. They pulled off this tricky feat.
2. An unfortunate but important story-line of the Finals, in my view, was the poor field conditions. I am still trying to figure out how playing on grass in Oneonta in November can be a good idea. Why put these great players and teams on a surface like this? None of the games I saw over the weekend were at the speed, skill or quality level to what I witnessed at the Sectionals, Regionals, or during the regular season. I saw players who hadn’t lost their footing in a 20 game season slipping and sliding repeatedly, particularly on Sunday. When I walked across the field after the Class A final, I couldn’t believe how ridiculously soft and uneven the surface was. Sadly, some of the goals I witnessed over the weekend involved defenders not being able to regain their footing to make a simple clearance of the ball.
The Committee that oversees this event needs to re-think this aspect. The SHOF is fine place to hold award ceremonies, and is probably a great place to play in the Summer. Using it as a mid-November playing venue to find the best teams in NYS just doesn’t make sense.
Harrison did an exceptional job. To keep their season alive for that long says a lot. It going to take time before soccer can be in the drivers seat at high schools accross the country. Until then I am a SECTION ONE FAN and will be there when I can to give you support. Thanks to all players, coaches and writters for a job well done. I am looking forward to next season. New Rochelle will make noise.
A QUICK COMMENT, IN THE AA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, A PLAYER WAS INJURED, BOTH TEAMS WERE SENT TO THEIR BENCHES. IT TOOK OVER 30 MINTUES FOR A AMBULANCE TO ARRIVE. I WAS FURIOUS THAT THE POOR KID LAY FREEZING COLD ON THE FIELD WRAPPED IN BLANKETS UNTIL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ARRIVED. I TOLD THE STAFF THERE THAT A AMBULANCE SHOULD BE ON SITE ALL DAY, GIVEN ALL THE GAMES AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THERE FOR THE FINALS. THEY RESPONDED BY STATING, THAT IT WAS A GOOD POINT AND THAT IT WAS OPENING WEEKEND FOR DEER SEASON AND THAT THEY COULDN’T GET NEEDED MEDICAL STAFF BECAUSE THEY WERE HUNTING DEER. I ALSO AGREE THAT ALL THE FIELDS WERE BEYONG SLOPPY AND IN VERY POOR CONDITIONS. THEY MUST MOVE THE FINALS LOCATION.