
On Wednesday night, the top seed P.K. Yonge boys soccer team rallied past No. 3 seed and host Williston, 3-1, to win the 3A-District 4 title.
“We have developed a vision for collective plays and we had a well-crafted plan for tonight with different variations that we triggered throughout the match,” said P.K. Yonge coach Jose De Leon. “Williston is a tough opponent with similar heart, grit, and determination, so we knew we had to duplicate that tonight. It worked.”
The Blue Wave (19-2) trailed 1-0 at the half but scored three second-half goals to beat the Red Devils (13-7-1) for the second time this season.
“We were down in the first half, but we never panicked,” De Leon said. “We kept playing according to the plan and adapted well to the variations. This championship is the result of a community work, a collective effort to bring these young men together and play the game to the best of their abilities.”
Junior Ciaran Foley scored the first one for P.K. Yonge to tie it at 1-1. That gave the Blue Wave some momentum.
“The key to our success was being able to push through even when we went down 1-0 in the first half,” said senior captain Thomas “Leif” Lewis. “We had our minds set and ready to never lose focus or hope. That was vital. Winning districts, being champs, wow. It’s one of the best feelings ever to win with this team and I can’t wait to see how much further we go.”
Junior Chris Zeppieri had the game-winning goal, giving the Blue Wave a 2-1 lead.
“Tonight we played the one plan, one team together playing for one goal to be district champs,” Zeppieri said. “And man, does it feel good.”
Zeppieri assisted Foley, then Foley assisted Zeppieri.
Senior Sebastian Hochman then created his own opportunity to give P.K. Yonge some insurance with the third goal of the half.
“I believe the key for us to win was for us to play our game,” Hochman said. “We made sure to have consistent pressure in the midfield to stop their attack. We also made sure we all dropped back as a team and communicated with each other. Lastly, I believe the true factor was our persistence and the family we have created throughout the season. I’ve wanted this for so long and it’s truly a dream come true, I believe I can say this for a lot of the members on the team too. Now we get back to work and focus on regionals.”
P.K. Yonge will host a regional quarterfinal on Tuesday against an opponent to be determined.
The district title was especially gratifying for the seniors.
“The formula was making sure that we stayed composed and played our game,” said senior captain Camron Barnett. “It worked. Now, to be clear, I feel great about districts and being champs, but now it’s time for Regionals.”
DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS – WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31
GIRLS
4A-District 2
1 Santa Fe (Alachua) 0, 2 Suwannee (Live Oak) 0 (Santa Fe wins 4-2 PKs)
BOYS
2A-District 2
1 Oak Hall 2, 2 Bell 0
3A-District 4
1 P.K. Yonge 3, 3 Williston 1