• Matthews named MVP as Admirals secure 2016 AHSAA championship

FINAL: BAYSIDE ACADEMY 3, ALTAMONT 2

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—Bayside Academy scored the go-ahead goal in the 72nd minute Friday night and claimed the Daphne school’s first AHSAA state boys’ soccer championship with a 3-2 win over Altamont.

The Admirals (21-4-0) won the Class 1A/3A state crown as the second day of the 2016 AHSAA State Soccer Championships came to a close at Huntsville’s John Hunt Soccer Complex.

The championship marked the 25th year of the AHSAA State Soccer Championships, which began in 1991. Eight-grader Sergi Cebrian-Claramunt scored the winning goal with an assist from Robert Sullivan at 72:44 of the 80-minute final. Seth Matthews scored the other two goals for coach Jamie Ferguson’s squad to earn 1A/3A Boys Championship MVP honors. Jack Hammele assisted on Matthews’ final goal.

Mihnir Limdi and William Jackson had first-half goals for Altamont (13-5-1), coached by Sean Gibson.

SEMIFINALS:

BAYSIDE ACADEMY 2, WESTMINSTER-OAK MOUNTAIN 1 (4-2 IN SHOOTOUT)

Bayside Academy (20-4-0) eliminated defending Class 1A/3A state boys’ champion Westminster-Oak Mountain (13-8-1) with the 2-1 win in the other semifinal match Friday.  The victory sends the Daphne school into the championship match versus Altamont.

The Admirals of coach Jamie Ferguson played the Knights even for two halves and two overtime periods to set up the shootout finale.

Senior Seth Ferguson scored the match’s first goal at 9:01 in the first half for Bayside. Westminster junior Jack Wilson tied things up with a goal set up by assists from Price Leonard and Cole Eddins just 2 ½ minutes before intermission.

Both defenses took over in the second half with few shots on goal. In the shootout, senior goalkeeper Richard O’Neill, who had three saves in regulation, took things into his own hands with two blocks on Westminster’s first two free kicks while teammates Seth Matthews, Robert Sullivan, Colin Douglas and Dawson Jellenc nailed goals past Knights freshman keeper Brodie Winks. Winks finished the contest with four saves.

ALTAMONT 4, TANNER 2

Senior forward William Jackson scored three goals Thursday afternoon as Altamont downed Tanner 4-2 in the Class 1A/3A boys’ semifinal match of the 25th annual AHSAA State Soccer Championships being held at Huntsville’s John Hunt Soccer Complex.

Altamont (13-4-1) faces Bayside Academy (20-4-0) in the finals Friday night.

Jackson gave Coach Sean Gibson’s Knights a quick 1-0 lead scoring just 3:48 into the match. Tanner junior Jose Moreno tied the match at 1-1 with a goal 20 minutes later. Jackson’s second goal on a penalty kick with one second left in the first half sent Altamont into intermission with a 2-1 lead.

Senior Sinan Turan made it 3-1 for Altamont with a goal seven minutes into the second half. David Pizano then scored on a header provided by Moreno’s corner kick to cut the Altamont lead to 3-2 at 57:33.  Jackson closed out the scoring just 89 seconds later with his final goal – set up by William Rosenstiel’s assist.