Ransom Everglades boys soccer wins ‘grind it out’ game over Bolles, reaches state championship
The cross found Ryan Sadler’s foot, and the defender made sure not to waste the opportunity. He didn’t have to do much with the ball, a light tap from a few yards out was more than enough to get past the opposing keeper and begin an early celebration.
It was all the Ransom Everglades boys’ soccer team needed.
Sadler’s third-minute goal coupled with another strong defensive effort has Ransom Everglades back in the state championship for the first time since 2016 following a 1-0 win over Jacksonville Bolles on Saturday in a Class 3A state semifinal. The Raiders (18-1-3) will face Tampa Prep at 1:05 p.m. Thursday at DeLand’s Spec Martin Stadium.
“It feels amazing,” Sadler, one of Ransom’s two team captains, said. “We’ve created such a momentum in the playoffs, having clean sheets and winning all these games back to back, but we’re all not satisfied yet. We all know what we want and that’s to win a state final and come home with a ring. We’re happy, but we’re not satisfied.”
The conditions Saturday weren’t great. Heavy rain in Coconut Grove caused the game’s start to be delayed about 45 minutes. Another heavy band of rain drenched the turf field for the final 15 minutes of the first half to the point that passes on the ground became obsolete. That played against Ransom Everglades, a team that prioritizes throughballs and quick passes to build their attacks.
“The rain and the sloppy field really didn’t help us,” coach David Villano said. “Credit the kids for adjusting their style and approach and saying ‘OK, we’re gonna grind it out and find a way to win.’”
This Ransom Everglades team and its success, as Villano put it, is “the culmination of a lot of work over the past three, four years.” The team is upperclassman-heavy, with nine seniors and nine juniors among the 24-man roster.
There’s no one standout scorer — senior midfielder Dillan Kaye and junior Kobe Lopez are tied for the team lead with just eight goals apiece — nor any outstanding egos.
Just a mutual understanding of a common goal that has eluded them for their entire careers.
“We always had this talent,” Sadler said, “but finally this year we have the camaraderie that I think is going to take us all the way.”
The Raiders also have a pretty solid defense and goalkeeper they hope will continue to pay dividends.
Ransom Everglades has posted seven consecutive shutouts since the start of the district playoffs and have allowed just nine goals all season. They allowed more than one goal in a game just once this season — their 2-1 loss to North Broward Prep on Nov. 17.
“By the time we got into the closing part of the season, where it really mattered, we just had our defense lock it down,” senior goalkeeper Jasper Broad said. “I haven’t had to do a ton because my defense has just been playing amazing.”
They’re one win away from it all paying off.
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
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