On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the No. 1 ranked Archie Williams varsity boys soccer team (5-0-3) faced the No. 4 ranked Tamalpais Hawks (3-3-2) in the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) semi-final game at Redhill Field. The Falcons came into the match undefeated in the MCAL season and managed to secure a 2-0 win, qualifying for the final.
The first half consisted of a close back-and-forth battle for possession, with many shots on goal from the Hawks that junior goalie Aidan Dunn successfully blocked. A combination of intense offensive pressure and continuously blocked goals caused frustration for both teams. Senior midfielder and captain Jackson Richardson highlighted the Falcons’ level-headedness and ability to stay calm despite the pressure.
“One thing that went well was our positive mental attitude. I think we did a good job not getting mad at each other and not getting frustrated because it was a frustrating first half,” Jackson said.
The first half ended scoreless, which allowed the teams to reconsider their tactics at halftime. The Falcons came back stronger than before, while the Hawks seemed to struggle with the pressure.
“I thought that our defense did a good job of standing up and weathering the storm, which gave us an opportunity to make some adjustments at halftime, and I think that’s what gave us momentum in the second half. I thought we had a better game plan and that the boys executed it really well,” said head coach Rene Ayala.
After a foul, the Falcons earned a free kick that senior midfielder and captain Jake Morrison and Jackson took. They executed a swift layoff, successfully scoring the first goal with an error from the Hawks putting it in the net. The energy was high in the crowd as the game began to shift in the Falcons’ favor.
“We came out a little bit flat in the first half, and then in the second half, we came out with a lot of energy and got it done, which is what we needed,” Jake said.
The rest of the game sped by as the Falcons regained their momentum and stepped up the footwork, connecting passes and communicating across the field. Junior forward Sean Chamberlain scored the second and final goal for the Falcons, eliciting cheers from the spirited bench and upping the score to 2-0. This gave the Falcons the final spark to close out the game, holding the Hawks scoreless.
The Falcons’ next game will be the MCAL final Saturday, Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. where they will play the Redwood High School Giants under the lights at San Rafael High School. The game will be the second finals face-off between the Falcons and the Giants, after the Falcons suffered a nail-biting loss in the 2024 championship game.
“The ordinary response would be [that our goal is] to win the championship. But for me, if the boys play to their ability, if they play hard and give it their all, I don’t care what it says on the scoreboard; they’ll be champions to me,” Ayala said.
