History has been made – and has repeated itself for a mind-boggling fourth time - with the Long Beach High School (LBHS) Bearcats boys’ soccer team scoring yet another state championship title.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment. It's so difficult to win a state championship, and for our program to do it for a fourth consecutive year is pretty amazing,” says LBHS boys’ soccer coach Matthew DeFillips. “It’s a testament to the incredibly strong foundation that has been built over the last decade by former players and coaches. I’m just really proud and happy for our team, school and community.”
It came down to the wire at the February 17 MHSAA 6A Boys Soccer Championship Game in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, but the Bearcats managed to secure the state’s top spot and coveted golden ball trophy once again, pulling off a 3-2 win over the Center Hill High School Mustangs in a nail-biter won by Easton Van Norden’s free kick score in the 79th minute of the championship game.
By securing the 6A title for the fourth year in the row, the LBHS Bearcats now join the Pearl High School Pirates (2005-2008) as the only program to win four boys’ soccer state championship titles in a row.
The February 17 match, played in near-freezing temperatures, marked the eighth consecutive year in a row the LBHS boys’ soccer team has played in the state championship game.
Three minutes into the game, Braiden Bonds scored the first goal for the Bearcats.
Eighteen minutes later, twenty-one minutes into the game, Center Hill’s Michael Sanders tied the game 1-1 with a rebound off a free kick.
The Bearcats scored again in the 68th minute of the game, with Bonds scoring again, this time on a rebound off a free kick, giving the Bearcats a 2-1 lead over Center Hill’s Mustangs.
Minutes later, Center Hill’s Michael Sanders scored again, tying the game 2-2 in the 75th minute on a penalty kick.
With just under a minute to left to play, the Bearcats’ Easton Van Norden scored the winning goal with a free shot after being fouled.
Bearcats senior Braiden Bonds was named Most Valuable Player in the game, securing two of the LBHS Bearcats’ three points in the state championship game.
“When the final whistle blew, I felt excitement and relief, all at the same time,” Bonds says. “Excitement, because I knew how hard the team worked to get there, and also because it was the first State Championship that I have ever won. Relief, because me and the rest of the underclassmen really wanted to help get the seniors their fourth State Championship in a row - and we did it.”
DeFillips says he is proud of Bonds and the entire team.
“The goals are obvious moments that stand out, but goalkeeper Alan Long made a really big diving save with an attacker barreling down at him to keep the game tied going into halftime, which was a huge moment,” DeFillips said. “Freshman Landon Tyre, who had a shaky appearance in South State, played a really solid final tenty minutes of the game and had a couple important clearances late in the game. Easton van Norden’s perfectly-placed game-winning free kick goal in the final seconds of the game will be a play I will never forget. To do that in that game and in that moment was incredible.”
“One word that describes this team is resilient,” DeFillips said. “We believe in striving together which means to compete. We show up and compete every day on and off the field, and I think you see that in the way that we fought together all season long. We get everyone’s best game, and we just refuse to quit, and we just keep striving together.”
“This group of seniors is really special, and I’m just so happy that they are able to go out the same way they came in, as State Champions. Each one of them scored a game-winning goal in the playoffs to help us survive and advance, and ultimately win a fourth state championship. We’re going to miss them, and we thank them for their contributions on and off the field. We were a young team this season, and that will continue.”
The championship game was a wrap for some, including van Norden.
“Once I realized that we had won state, I was very happy and relieved,” van Norden says. “It was a stressful game, and we really had to battle our way through up to the very last minute. We prepared for the season the way most teams do, working on fitness and the fundamentals. I do not plan on playing soccer after high school, but I am glad that I got to end my soccer career on such a great note.”
