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Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom STATE CHAMPS! — The Greenville boys are the 8-player state champs after defeating PCHS 3-0 in the championship contest at Hermon High School on Nov. 9. The soccer gold ball is the first in Greenville history, boys or girls, after Laker teams had previously fallen in a combined eight Class D championship matches from 1995 to 2016.

Greenville tops PCHS for 8-player boys soccer championship

Stuart Hedstrom •November 11, 2024

HERMON — There was an air of familiarity to the 2024 8-player boys soccer state championship on the turf at Pottle Field at Hermon High School Saturday, Nov. 9 with South champion Greenville High School and North champion Piscataquis Community High School of Guilford facing off in the third meeting of the year between the two schools located about 25 miles apart.

Greenville went on to shut out the Pirates 3-0 in the all-Piscataquis County state championship to claim the first soccer gold ball — boys or girls — in school history.

“It’s been a long five years, playing an eighth-grade year and high school, it means so much to bring the first soccer gold ball to the school,” said Laker senior Liam Mason, who scored what would turn out to be the only goal needed with just under seven minutes to go in the first half.

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
STATE CHAMPS! — The Greenville boys are the 8-player state champs after defeating PCHS 3-0 in the championship contest at Hermon High School on Nov. 9. The soccer gold ball is the first in Greenville history, boys or girls, after Laker teams had previously fallen in a combined eight Class D championship matches from 1995 to 2016.

Greenville senior Logan Adrien sent a free kick toward the PCHS goal, where Mason got a hold of the ball and kicked into the left of the Pirate goal to put his team on the scoreboard at the 6:52-mark.

“All praise to God, God’s helped us through this whole journey,” Mason said. “I’m just speechless right now. I am so proud of my guys and I am so happy to bring it home to Greenville, a first for our school. I couldn’t have asked for my younger guys and the guys that played beside me my whole high school career.”

“It’s an amazing feeling, we’ve played together since we were kids,” Adrien said. “There’s just no words.”

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
BRAND NEW HARDWARE — Greenville senior Liam Mason shows off the newly-won gold ball in front of the Greenville fans, with fellow seniors Logan Adrien (9) and Ocean Turner (10). Mason scored twice to help the Lakers win 3-0.

After receiving a pass from senior Ocean Turner, Adrien’s shot from the right found the Pirate goal to give Greenville a 2-0 advantage 4:05 into the second half.

Mason later scored on a penalty kick late in the game to give the Lakers, who finished at 16-2 with 10 consecutive victories to end the season, a 3-0 advantage with 6:09 to play.

At the other end of the field sophomore keeper Landon Theriault made a game high seven saves (four in the first half and three in the second) for the shutout, Greenville’s fifth of the season and first in the playoffs.

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
A HEAD ABOVE — Junior Brady Gaw uses his head to get the ball away from Greenville senior Liam Mason with Pirate junior Gavyn Gilbert looking on.

PCHS junior keeper Noah Kain stopped five shots.

Greenville had a 4-1 victory at PCHS on Sept. 20, and the Laker won 3-0 at home on Oct. 21.

“We beat them twice in the regular season, but seeing what we did to Carrabec we knew coming in we couldn’t take them lightly,” Mason said, mentioning how several days prior second-seeded Greenville knocked off the top seed in the South on penalty kicks in the regional final at Cony High School in Augusta after having lost twice to the Cobras in the regular season. “We had to play just like we did against Carrabec. Everyone understood that and we all understood the assignment, we came in, we got the job done.”

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
FOOT RACE — Seniors Liam Mason of Greenville and PCHS’ Gavyn Gilbert race to a loose ball on the turf at Hermon High School in the 8-player championship on Nov. 9.

“They brought their competition, Guilford’s a really good team,” he said, mentioning the Pirates have some really good athletes. “They brought their fire and it was just a great game to play in and a great game to watch I am guessing.”

PCHS, playing in its first season at the 8-player level, ends 2024 with a record of 13-4-1. The berth in the state championship was the first for the program since the 2006 team reached the Class C final.

PCHS has now been in eight boys soccer state championships overall, with the previous seven all coming in Class C. The Pirates won the 1985 Class C title, and fell in six other Class C finales (1982, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2006).

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
CLEARING IT OUT — Laker sophomore defender Connor McDonough fends off PCHS junior Chase Lander while being watched by sophomore keeper Landon Theriault.

The Greenville boys had previously fallen in four Class D championships, 1995, 2011, 2012, and 2016. The Laker girls are 0–4 in Class D finals, being defeated in 1995, 2005, 2008, and 2009.

Greenville team personnel is made up of seniors Logan Adrien, Avery Beal, Liam Mason, Jackson Theriault, and Ocean Turner; sophomores Ethan Brown and Connor McDonough; freshmen Taydin Caletz-Ouellette, Treyeden Gallagher, Ryler Mellow, Ripley Roberts, and Ki Theriault; eighth-grader Issac Oelschlegel; and head coach Ryan Bolen.

The PCHS boys soccer team is comprised of seniors Devan Pelkey and Gavyn Gilbert; juniors Brady Ball, Tristian Billington, Ricky Carrasco, Dawson Draper, Brady Gaw, Grant Higgins, Noah Kain, Chase Lander, Caleb Littlefield, and Brandon Reed; sophomores Jacob Knowles and Conrad Rollins; and coach Kobe Gilbert and head coach Trey Gilbert.