The Peekskill boys were so close to reaching the championship final, but ultimately they were unable to overcome a strong Fox Lane team in their semifinal game on Thursday, Oct. 31.
During gameplay, Fox Lane took an early 1-0 lead over Peekskill five minutes into the first half. From there, Fox Lane continued pressuring the Red Devils and in the 11th minute of the first half, they scored again but it was disallowed and ruled offside. Peekskill players were overwhelmed early on and it showed.
A few minutes later, Peekskill responded with an equalizing goal from their talisman Umaru Conteh. While Peekskill would go on to show glimpses of magic here and there, they were chasing Fox Lane for almost the entirety of the game. Fox Lane was able to grab a second goal before the end of the first half. At halftime, the scoreboard read, Fox Lane 2-1 Peekskill.
Peekskill went into the second half fired up. They carved out a few chances but nothing came of them. Any hopes of reaching the finals were buried when Fox Lane scored their third goal in the second half. The game finished, Fox Lane 3-1 Peekskill. Scorers for Fox Lane included: Ryan Joseph, Kenneth Mejia Lopez, and Fredy Contreras.
Fox Lane will play Tappan Zee in the Section 1 Class AA boys soccer championship final on Sunday, Nov. 3 at Lakeland High School.
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Team huddle before kickoff. (All photos by Deb Liljegren)
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Peekskill’s Brandon Rodriguez lining up.
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Peekskill getting hyped before commencement of game.
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Peekskill defender Ariel Tenezaca
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Fox Lane going 1-0 up against Peekskill.
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Peekskill forward Randy Tapia battling for the ball.
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Peekskill captain Daniel Farez Sierra being pressured by Fox Lane players.
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Fox Lane goalkeeper unable to stop Umaru Conteh’s equalizing goal.
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Peekskill players celebrating after scoring their first goal.
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Crowd at the semifinal game.
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Peekskill’s loss against Fox Lane should not undermine the phenomenal season the boys soccer team had this year. Under the guidance of Coach Jonathan Iasillo and Coach Jamie Guevara, the boys became a dominant force this campaign. The Red Devils finished the regular season with a record of 12 wins, two losses, and two draws. On their road to the semifinals, they beat Gorton, 3-0, in the first round of sectionals and beat Roosevelt, 5-1, in the quarter-finals.
Peekskill’s top goal scorer this year was Umaru Conteh with 25 goals. Trailing him are senior Randy Tapia with eight goals and senior Chris Chalco with seven. Senior captain Daniel Farez Sierra ended the season with the most assists in the team with 10. In second and third place are seniors Juan Ventura and Chris Chalco tied with six.
Next fall, the Peekskill Varsity Boys Soccer team will need to rebuild their team, as they will lose 19 of their seniors from this campaign.
This 2024 season will be an unforgettable one for not only the players who made it possible, but the fans who supported the Red Devils through their roller coaster of a journey. If this year was a sign of what the Peekskill soccer program is capable of producing, then the boys will have no issue getting back into sectionals next fall.
Austin Goldberg, Director of Physical Education, Health & Athletics at PCSD, said of the team, “We are all very proud of our students and coaches for a great season. There is so much to be proud of. Peekskill Pride!”
