If you have been following Red Creek soccer then you know the rivalry between the two State Championship soccer teams has been building ever since last year when the U19 Boys CNY Final Championship match between the RCRage and Fulton was abandoned half way through the match when the head referee decided the game was out of control and he could not handle the match any longer. At that point in time when last year's match was suddenly ended, the RCRage was decisively beating Fulton 3-1. Since it was ruled that one of the RCRage players had caused the abandonment, the RCRage had to forfeit the championship and Fulton ended up winning the league title by forfeit.
Since that point in time both teams went on to reign as the 2005 State Champions in their respective classes. Red Creek ended up beating the state renowned Japanese team “Keio Academy” 2-0 in the Class "C" finals and Fulton managed to pull out a tie with Rochester powerhouse Pittsford Mendon to share the Class “A” State Championship Title.
Now, one year later the stage was set for both teams to meet once again.
It was like De-Ja Vou all over again; both teams were vying for the U19 CNYJSA Championship in the final match of the season and it was being played on Fulton’s home turf. The only thing different this time was that both teams were reining State Champions and this really sweetened the pot!
In league play the RCRage was in first place and Fulton was in second place.
The RCRage only needed to tie the match to claim the first place title in the league where as Fulton needed to win the match outright to claim the championship.
When both teams stepped foot on the pitch they were both lacking a few players that ultimately made up their former state championship teams, but both teams contained enough of a contingency of former state players to make this game worth marking it on your calendar! The RCRage was slightly on the younger side playing two freshmen and two eight graders in their lineup.
When the match started both teams came out head to head and matched each other
attack for attack. No one appeared to dominate the other for quite some time. After about fifteen minutes into the match the Fulton team came down the field with a strong attack and managed to find the back of the net making it 1-0 Fulton. Five minutes later RCRage striker Jeremy March answered back as he slammed a rocket past the Fulton keeper from about 18 yards out to equal the match. With just minutes remaining in the first half the Fulton team managed to slice through the RCRage defense and go ahead 2-1 where the score remained through the halftime.
In the second half, RCRage coach Dave Gregg made a quick midfield change 10 minutes into the half swapping sweeper Earl Sharkey and center midfielder JR Fisher. "Fisher was playing a great match" said Gregg, "We just need a little more air dominance in the midfield so we brought the ALL-STATE sweeper forward .“ The move paid off with big dividends!" A corner kick was awarded minutes after we made the interchange and both boys connected big time! Fisher server up a great ball and it found it's way to Sharkey's feet on the top of the box where he planted it in the back of the Fulton net equalizing the match! With the score tied and the clock ticking, the match took on a whole new demeanor. The game quickly became more physical and yellow cards started to fly, as the referees did not want to let this match get out of hand as it did the year before. With 20 minutes remaining on the clock Jeremy March broke free down the right side of the field and exploded past the last back leaving only himself and the keeper to dance. As he bore down on the net, the Fulton keeper came out to cut the angle. March flicked the ball with light finesse to the keeper's left side but the ball managed to go just wide and hit the goal post where Earl Sharkey collected the rebound and sunk it in the back of the net to put the RCRage up 3-2. For the next twenty minutes both teams battled and both teams were awarded a number of yellows as the physicality of the match really started to heat up.
In the end, the RCRage managed to decisively win the match and take home the CNYJSA championship! "We have been waiting for this match up for over a year now" said Gregg "and it was even more competitive knowing both teams were the state champions in their respective classes!" "Both teams are physically very tough, Fulton by far has one of the toughest defensive teams I have ever seen and you have to pay respect where respect is due" said Gregg. But, you cannot deny the RCRage their dues either. When the RCRage stepped on the field this past season they came equipped with an arsenal that could tumble even the mightiest of the big schools and that is exactly what they did when they met the Class “A” State Champs on Wednesday night, July 26th! The RCRage kids came to play as they toppled Fulton 3-2 and claimed the CNYJSA League Championship with a record of eight straight wins and no losses! “All the kids played very well and I was extremely happy with the younger kids we had on the field” said Gregg. “If that kind of play carries over into our school season the fans will have a great time watching the younger kids coming up through this year!”
If you would like to have your son or daughter get involved with competitive soccer, please call Rob Reese @ 754-6334 or Dave Gregg @ 754-6315. The club is open to both boys and girls from under the age of 10 on up to 19 years of age. We also welcome parents that want to get involved in a great organization. The club is planning their next soccer trip to Europe in 2007 if children or parents are interested in going.
