KEYS SOCCER SEASON IN FULL SWING

Girls

Key West took on St. Brendan in Miami on Nov. 30. Down by one in the first half, the Conchs made adjustments and were set to tie it up when a lightning delay and further inclement weather ended the match. Coach Scott Paul was pleased with his team’s performance against a strong team, and will have a chance to see whether a full game makes the difference when the two meet again in the district playoffs.

Marathon won two last week, beating Archimedean on the road on Nov. 29 before handing Monsignor Pace a solid 8-0 loss in the Fins’ home opener on Dec. 2. Marathon’s offensive onslaught was buoyed by hat tricks from both Rain Banks and Reese Elwell. Banks also had three assists in the match. Jordan MacDonald and Mackenzie Budi each had a goal in the game and MacDonald added three assists. Goalkeeper Kiki Hewlett had two saves plus a saved penalty kick to secure the shutout. In the Archimedean game, Budi scored two and Elwell, Banks and Hannah Davis had one goal each. 

Coral Shores evened up its record with wins against Monsignor Pace on Nov. 30 and Florida Christian on Dec. 2. The Canes scored eight against Pace, with a hat trick from Sophia Jans, two goals each from Ashley Jans and Kai Redruello and one from Jenna Mandozzi. Katarina Telhiard’s lone goal was all it would take to beat the Florida Christian Patriots.

Boys 

The Conchs had a big win against Boca Raton High on Nov. 28, beating the 7A Bobcats 2-1 on the road. Loubins Fleurridor and Jonathan Bahri each scored for Key West, while keeper Karel Bublak made some big saves to keep the Conchs in the game. The Conchs are currently tied for third place in FHSAA 4A District 16 play with nine games left in their regular season.

It was a mixed bag for Marathon’s boys this week. They were scheduled to play four matches in five days, but a last-minute cancellation gave them a break and a win by forfeit. Their first game of the week was a 5-2 loss against Coral Shores on Nov. 28. Jaden Rosete scored one goal and Henry Herrera scored on a penalty kick. The following day, the Fins played to a 5-2 loss to Archimedean. Scoring for the Fins were Mikhail Marshall and Juan Vasquez. The Dolphins used the next few days to regroup and rest before beating Monsignor Pace at home 6-2 with two goals from Vasquez, two from Rosete, one from Herrera and one from Oscar Cardona.

After beating Marathon on Nov. 28, Coral Shores played at Pace on Nov. 30, winning 5-1 against the Spartans. The Hurricanes are currently sitting in first place in the FHSAA 3A District 16 standings.

Tracy McDonald
Tracy McDonald fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.