Scott Young Public School mixed soccer has perfect season

For the first time in 12 years, the Scott Young Public School Junior Mixed soccer team are county champions, finishing a magical season with a perfect 8-0 record. The Terriers, coached by teachers Rachel Andrich and Nicole Edgerton, defeated all opponents culminating in a hard-fought championship victory over regional powerhouse Central Senior Public School from Lindsay. 

Edgerton and Andrich talked glowingly of their athletes and the support the team received from the Scott Young school community that made this championship season possible. 

“It is a short season,” Andrich said. “We had tryouts in late September. We had over 50 kids attend the four tryouts we ran. From those practices we chose a team of 20 boys and girls from Grades 4 through 6.” 

Edgerton said picking the team was tough because there were so many good players. 

To prepare for the county tournament the Terriers played four exhibition matches against Parkview Public School, Alexandra Public School, Jack Callaghan Public School and Dunsford Public School running the table winning 6-0, 8-2, 3-2 and 4-0. 

At the county competition that followed, Scott Young found themselves in a tough pool with preliminary games against Bobcaygeon Public School and Rolling Hills Public School that they won 5-1 and 3-2. 

Those two victories qualified the Terriers for a semi-final game against Jack Callaghan with the winner moving onto the finals and the loser going home. 

“We were down early 1-0,” Edgerton said. “It was the first time this season the kids had ever been behind. We tied it up late and then won on a beautiful breakaway goal that qualified us to play Central in the finals.” 

The championship game was the fourth game in one day and Edgerton said that the busy schedule had taken its toll on both teams. 

“Both teams were exhausted,” Andrich said. “We were super proud of our kids. Four games in a day. It was quite a day that culminated with the kids defeating Central 3-0.” 

Andrich said that the team’s success would not have been possible without the support of Terrier friends and family. “For all eight games, our Scott Young community was awesome,” Andrich said. “We had parents and grandparents lining the fields. As coaches we felt so supported by them.” 

When asked to describe their players, Andrich and Edgerton used words like heart, character and sportsmanlike. 

“Only three of our 20 play rep soccer in the community,” Edgerton said. “All three of our goalies don’t play organized soccer. This is really a school team.” 

Next season, if the Terriers have hope of repeating, they will need to fill a number of important roster spots as 10 of their 20 players move up to the Intermediate Grade 7-8 team. 

“They will be missed,” Edgerton said. “Those moving up include most of our strikers and our top goal scorer.” 

When asked what the experience of coaching this team was like Andrich said, “This is the first team we have ever coached before. We put a lot of effort into the team and gained confidence as the season went on. We are looking forward to what next season brings.”