And then there was one.
Just two Keys soccer teams were alive in the hunt for a state championship last week, but after the Lady Hurricanes of Coral Shores fell to Gulliver Prep 5-0 in the semifinals, the boys of Key West High were the only team left standing.
As of Jan. 28, Florida’s 4A District 16 has a new champ in boys soccer. Key West, ranked No. 3 in a five-team district, knocked out No. 2 Terra Environmental last week on Jan. 24 and secured the district championship against top-ranked Belen Jesuit four days later.
Scoring for the Conchs were DJ Barrett and Loubins Fleuridor. Sebastian Camargo assisted on one goal and Fausto Paz and the Conchs’ defensive wall preserved the shutout in the playoff win. After the upset, the team waited for the new regional rankings to be published to learn their fate.
Somehow, despite beating Belen Jesuit and Terra Environmental in both their playoff wins, Key West was tagged as the No. 6 team and scheduled to face third-ranked Somerset Academy out of Pembroke Pines. Terra drew the No. 5 seed and Belen was ranked No. 2, giving those teams a far easier path into the state championship series.
But this is not the first time Key West has faced a challenge and certainly not the first time they face a higher-ranked team, only to pick them off. A win against Somerset on Feb. 4 (results not available at press time) would give the Conchs Sweet 16 status and a match in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 7.
