By Peter Jantzen — Sports Contributor
The Concord-Carlisle High School soccer team has captured its third Dual County League Championship title, advancing to the state tournament.
Brackets for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament were to be released November 1, with the finals tentatively scheduled for Saturday, November 23.
The boys squad finished its regular season with three wins for an impressive 11-2-3 overall record.
CC came out firing in its October 22 match against Weston. The Weston keeper made more than a dozen saves in the first half, keeping the game scoreless. In the second, Jamo Velez eluded a Weston defender and smoked one into the top right side of the net for the game’s only goal and a 1-0 win.
With its eyes on a championship, CCHS battled Bedford on October 24. Mike Jantzen lofted a high cross to Matias Bout, who headed the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 CCHS lead at the half.
CC recorded double-digit shots on net, but a foul in the defensive box led to a penalty kick, and Bedford’s Spencer Goss tied the score. CC persevered, and a cross from Eli Siefer reached Velez, who notched the go-ahead goal for a final score of 2-1.
The boys then watched on livestream as Newton South and Weston battled to a scoreless tie, securing the CC boys’ Dual County League title.
In the final regular season game — and a test of its tournament mettle — CC faced D2 champion Oliver Ames on October 26. At the 25-minute mark, P.J. Jantzen made a long throw into the box, which Cooper Balfour flicked to Siefer. Siefer bumped it to Joe Ferrari, who kneed the ball into the net. Oliver Ames tied the score on a free kick.
CC picked up the energy, and with only 6 minutes left in regulation play, the magic happened again for CC. Keeper Stoddard Healy made a strong boot to midfield, which Balfour struck past an Oliver Ames defender, finding Velez. Though the Oliver Ames keeper came out strong, Velez kneed the ball into the box, and Mike Jantzen buried it in the back of the net to secure the 2-1 win.
Photo by Marianne Balfour
