Cardinal Gibbons players celebrate after their 5-0 win over Shelby during the 2A NCHSAA Soccer Championship game on Nov. 16, 2008. (Photo by Grant Halverson)
Nov 18, 2008
RALEIGH — Standing together in front of their bench at Dail Soccer Stadium, members of the Cardinal Gibbons boys’ soccer team counted down the final 10 seconds of the NCHSAA 2-A state final Sunday afternoon.
Though the drama of the championship game was gone by halftime, the jubilation that had been building up in the Crusaders throughout the second half was about to be unleashed. When time expired, they poured on the field to celebrate their thorough 5-0 win over Shelby and their second title in three years.
“Especially with the crew we’ve had, I didn’t want to let them down,” said Gibbons coach Tim Healy. “It feels good, but they’re the ones that do all the work. They’re the ones that listen to what I say. They’re the ones that put up with our practices. They’ve been to four state championships. I wanted them to end on the highest note possible.”
And Gibbons (24-2-2) did just that. The five-goal margin of victory is the largest in 2-A history and the most lopsided final in any classification since Charlotte Providence beat Apex 6-0 in the 2000 4-A final. The Crusaders outshot the Golden Lions 26-5, and goalkeeper Eric Hamilton didn’t have to make a save to earn the team’s 16th shutout of the season.
Senior forward Daniel Montero was named MVP after he scored three goals, including two in less than a minute late in the first half. Seph Babington had a goal and an assist, Marc Lenzo scored a goal and Michael Zimmerman had two assists.
The Crusaders wanted to pressure Shelby’s defense early, and, if necessary, adjust their attack accordingly. While the Golden Lions (19-3-2) defended admirably, the only adjustment Gibbons needed to make was putting its shots on frame.
After eight corner kicks yield nothing in the first 25 minutes, Gibbons got it right on its ninth try in the 28th minute. Ryan McAnallen headed down Daniel Del Rosario’s corner kick toward the goal. Babington, standing in front of the goalkeeper, collected the ball inside the six-yard box and flicked it into the net.
“That first goal is always hard to get, so it’s good to get it early,” said Babington, who scored 18 goals this season, including six in the playoffs.
“Seph’s goal was big because it was the first goal, and then everyone got believing we [were] going to do this,” Healy said.
Montero scored his first goal in the 37th minute. He ran onto a ball from Zimmerman and one-timed to the far post for a 2-0 lead.
“The last two games I was a little off,” said Montero, who finished the season with 24 goals. “That song was playing in my head and I was going at it.”
Montero had Queen’s “Another one bites the dust” on a constant loop in his mind, he said, and it was a sentiment he and his teammates could share about their opponent a few moments later.
Thirty-eight seconds after his first goal, Montero scored again. He stole the ball from a Shelby defender about 30 yards from the goal, then broke in all alone and easily finished the chance.
After halftime, it didn’t take long before the Crusaders got on the board for a fourth time.
In the 44th minute, Babington laid off a ball to Lenzo, and he buried it at the far post.
Montero completed his hat trick in the 67th minute. Zimmerman sprung him free, and Montero went in one-on-one with Shelby’s goalkeeper. Montero was nearly taken down as he touched the ball past the netminder, but he regained his balanced and slotted the ball into the open goal.
Sunday’s final brought to a close a dominating season, and a dominating playoff run in particular, for Gibbons. The Crusaders went unbeaten over their final 23 games, and in the playoffs, they outscored their five opponents 23-2.
“Through the year, you could see our team come together,” said senior midfielder Patrick Donahue, who along with Babington was playing in his fourth state final. “This game showed how we came together.”
Contact Tim Candon at 821-8697 or tcandon@wral.com.
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