Colonial Valley Conference boys’ soccer had its day in the sun (and cold) Saturday when it opened and closed the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament’s Public School Finals at Franklin High.
The high honor of having two CVC boys’ teams in the state finals had not happened in nine years. Despite exciting games from both Princeton High and Robbinsville High, both were unable to walk away happy.
The Tigers, ranked No. 7 in the state, started the day with a 3-2 victory over No. 8-ranked Kearny in the Group IV final on Archie Smith’s goal with just under three minutes remaining.
These clubs had met in the same game six years earlier at Kean University with the Kardinals taking home their 10th state title before winning No. 11 in 2021.
This was Princeton’s fourth overall state championship, its first in Group IV and its first under new head coach Ryan Walsh.
“When I talked to (former coach) Wayne (Sutcliffe) after the game, he was just so happy for us,” Walsh said. “We knew we had a good team this season. But this group of seniors had been through so much throughout their careers with COVID as freshmen, then back-to-back, first-round state losses the last two years. I’m just so happy to see them succeed.”
Princeton would finish the season 22-2, a school record for wins, topping their 2009 Group III state champs’ 21 victories.
That set the stage for the Ravens, ranked No. 14 in the state, looking to become the only public school to repeat as champion this fall after Delran lost to Ramsey, 2-0, in a rematch of the 2022 Group II final.
But, despite battling as hard as it could against a quick and aggressive Garfield side, which had never won a Group III crown, R’ville came up a little short in a 2-1 defeat that saw 10th-year head coach Jeff Fisher’s squad come on strong over the final 25 minutes to make things very interesting when the area’s leading scorer Bora Turker put in his school-record 35th goal of the season on a penalty kick with 5:24 to go.
“These kids will be winners forever in my book,” Fisher said. “This was such a tight-knit group of seniors we had. It’s tough to see them leave here without the trophy. I’m still so proud of them.”
Fisher had good reason to feel that way. His 2022 Group III state champions went 18-4-1. His 2023 team, which finished second in Group III, went 18-6-1. Both of those campaigns were school records for wins.
As difficult as it was to see only one CVC boys’ club come away with a title, history may not have been on the side of the teams from Mercer County.
The last time two CVC squads had been in the state finals may have been 2014, but you had to look back another 30 years to find the last time two CVC boys won state crowns in the same fall.
Worse yet, when it came to two Mercer County public schools winning state titles in the same season, you had to go back to 1975 when Steinert, Ewing and Lawrence won in Group IV, Group III and Group II, respectively, pre-dating the CVC’s formation.
All of those 1975 squads are Mercer County Soccer Hall of Famers, and there is little doubt that, down the line, Princeton’s and Robbinsville’s powerhouse teams will join those ranks.
That may be small consolation right now when all everyone in Mercer County wanted was two boys’ soccer state champions on the same day. But making that dream a reality will have to wait another year as the CVC’s numbers, power and reputation continue to grow once again.
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