“Believe”…The dictionary defines this as accepting something as “true” or to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy or ability of something. The 2016-2017 Pebblebrook High School boys soccer team has taken their school motto “Believe You Can”, all the way to the GHSA 7A State Soccer Championship.
In the past the team has made it to the playoffs but faltered in the second round. This year they were determined to take it all the way. In just his second year as head coach, Anton Banfield knew this year would be special because of the momentum the team had from last season. The seniors this year are the players that he started with and trained for the 4 years of their high school soccer career. “It was more the attitude going in to the season, the preparedness and the expectations more than the words,” Coach Banfield said. “We were more vocal this year but that was still centered on the attitude, preparedness and expectation.”
Pandemonium filled the stadium on May 3rd when the Falcons defeated Mill Creek in a double overtime “shoot out” resulting in a 3-2 win advancing them to the third round and therefore breaking what some referred to as “the second round playoff curse”. “As a coach you always set high expectations,” he added. “I knew we were going to make it to playoffs and a goal to get pass second. From that point it was one game at a time.”
Who says lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice. After winning the coin toss, for the second time, the Falcons then took on Berkmar in The Nest which resulted in another double overtime “shoot out” resulting in a 3-2 win. Moving into the semi-finals the Falcon team was excited. Players and coaches took to social media inviting the community out to help support the team in their fight against Walton High School. And boy did they show up. One-thousand plus fans filled the stands to cheer their Falcon team on as they clinched a 3-1 win against the Raiders sending them into the GHSA 7A Sate Final.
“Varsity players and the seniors knew this was their last year together,” Banfield said. “This needed to be the year, so the work ethic and mindset was focused on training hard.” With nine seniors leaving the varsity team, the coaching staff has already started to include potential JV players in the varsity training.
The Falcons will take on Meadowcreek High School Saturday May 12, 2017 at McEachern High School in the first soccer State Championship showing in school history.
