Exciting Final Day at the SABR Championships
By: Jack Rubin
On Saturday, Feb. 25, all participants in the Soccer Association of Boca Raton (SABR) gathered at the Spanish River Athletic Complex for the championship day.
Saturday was the culmination of a long season spanning from November to February. Kinds from under five to 18 years old all participate SABR’s leagues.
It is an association that brings the community together, as most kids who grew up in Boca likely played SABR at some point in their childhood. There are even U19 leagues for high school kids who want to continue playing the game they love.
The opening of the fields at Spanish River Park brought a new beginning for SABR. Every parking lot was filled and people kept pouring in. All four fields were filled with excitement and competitive soccer on Saturday. In the boys U19 division, the second seeded Runners won the championship over first place Ultimate Sound and Video. Every competitor was giving their maximum effort in the heat.
The defensive battle went into extra time where the Runners scored to end the game about four minutes in.
For girls U19, fourth seeded Camarda Builders went on an improbable run to win their division. They finished the regular season 14 points behind first seeded Sunflower Landscaping, but caught fire in the playoffs. In the semifinal, Camarda defeated Sunflower Landscaping 1-0 en route to another 1-0 victory over the Tri County Optical Kooks in the championship. The Kooks suffered a key injury to one of their strikers in the game and Camarda’s defense took care of the rest.
Girls U15 was one of the largest divisions with nine teams, but sixth place WSJ Construction captured the trophy. Despite finishing 18 points back in the regular season, they upset #1, Epic Promos, by a score of 1-0 in the championship. WSJ Construction won all three of their playoff games by one goal, including a first round victory in penalty kicks.
Finally, Liverpool FC faced off against Welcome Funds in the final match of the boys U15 division. Both teams finished at least 20 points behind first place The Healthier Way. The one o’clock offensive showdown capped off championship Saturday.
Excellent performances from all participants wrapped up the SABR season on Saturday.
