The Eureka Loggers are North Coast Section champs in boys soccer for the first time after a thrilling comeback in the Division-2 championship game at Albee Stadium.
But the Arcata Tigers will have to wait at least one more year as an elusive title continues to evade them.
The two H-DNL rivals played in separate section championship games on Saturday, with the Tigers facing Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa in an afternoon matchup and falling 2-1 in the Division-1 decider.
It was the second straight year the Arcata boys reached a championship and the second straight year they lost, although this time around there was just the narrowest of margins separating the two teams.
Later in the day, the Eureka boys played in their first-ever NCS championship game and prevailed 2-1 against Redwood Christian.
But they had to battle for the championship, which comes just three days after the Eureka girls won a sixth all-time section crown.
Eureka trailed late in the game but a penalty kick by Lucas Ask would tie things up with 15 minute remaining.
An with just five minutes on the clock, Ask was involved in the winning goal, crossing to teammate Levi Grossman, who headed home for one of the most important goals in school history.
The elusive championship was something head coach Tommy Learmouth believed was possible when he took over the team three years ago and that belief has been rewarded.
“When I took over the program, I told the boys if you put your mind to it you can do this, but you have to believe,” Learmouth said after Saturday’s historic win. “They always wanted to get better and improve.”
The season featured its ups and downs, but the players never lost sight of the ultimate goal and were rewarded on Saturday.
“We struggled a little in mid season with injuries, but I think that helped us,” Learmouth added. “It’s just incredible.”
The players responded well to the early setback on Saturday, and rallied in the second half after trailing by a goal at halftime.
They never stopped believing despite trailing for the first time in postseason play.
“At halftime the boys refocused,” Learmouth said. “They said ‘this is the first time we’ve been down in the postseason, but we’re not out of this game by any stretch.’”
We’ll have much more on the historic achievement early next week.
