EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WKBW) — On the eve of the state championship game, East Aurora senior goaltender Charlie Finnerty recalled the moment he knew Section 1’s Rye High School would give the Blue Devils all they could handle.
“I remember this kid [Lucas Jamesson] rolled over to me in the middle of the night and said 'Wow, they’re good,'" Finnerty said. "So I knew we were capable, and I wouldn't say confident, but I knew we had the ability to beat them.”
Not only did East Aurora go on to beat the top-ranked team in the state to claim their second state title in three years, but they also shut them out.
“It’s pure bliss, we’re all celebrating, and then I saw a couple of our fans storm the field, and I heard security yell 'If you guys don’t get off, you’re going to get arrested, you guys got to get out of here,' and I’m like, bro, just let us celebrate, let us have fun,” Owen Mack said.
WATCH: First Student Super 7 Athletes: East Aurora's boys soccer program
When the Blue Devils won their last state title, a lot of people doubted how fast this program could reload in time to win another. Those critics were silenced in less than two years.
“Two years ago, when we won, it was like, how could we come back from this?" said Lucas Jamesson. "I think we just have to keep doing the same things we’ve had going for us, same family mentality. Same attitude at practice, same attitude off the field and on it.”
“I think it was very centered on a family dynamic," said Noah Bernys. "Whenever we were done with training and we didn’t feel like we had the best day, we’d go to Chipotle together and talk about it."
From the post-practice trips to Chipotle, to weeks of games and practices with no break in between, family and community bonded East Aurora Boys Soccer through it all.
For head coach Kevin Beale, it’s the foundation his program has been built on for the last 29 years.
“Families and players who have moved out of state see this on social media and are so proud and glad for the program," beale said. "I’ve been fortunate; it’s been a great part of my life here. The respect our program gets state-wide now it’s pretty special.”
