Boys soccer: Cox wins state title

By Chris Carlson

The Virginian-Pilot

CHANTILLY

The ragged penmanship proved Cox’s point.

As the Falcons accepted their second straight Group AAA boys soccer state championship, captains Neil Harrison and Trey Saunders stood with Sharpie scrawled across the stomachs of their white T-shirts.

“25-0, stay perfect,” the last-minute message read, written in rushed handwriting before Cox’s 2-1 win over Battlefield on Saturday.

“Trey and I did it in the locker room, just before the game,” Harrison said.

As Cox had insisted, the pursuit of perfection wasn’t the main priority this season, but a byproduct of a focused approach and a talented roster. Until the moments before kicking off against Battlefield, which is located in Haymarket, it registered just lightly on the minds of the Falcons (25-0).

Cox came away from Westfield High School with the school’s third state championship and its first unblemished record.

“We’ve focused on states all year as the goal,” junior Chris Albiston said. “But it was in the back of our minds.”

A year ago, Albiston put Cox’s state championship in jeopardy, picking up a red card. This year, he put the Falcons in control.

Albiston gave Cox a lead it would never surrender 8:03 in and Drew Hartell, out with a hamstring pull since the district tournament, scored the eventual game-winner midway through the first half.

“I was happy to be tired at the end,” Albiston said. “It was definitely different.”

Albiston placed a left-footed shot inside the upper left corner from 25 yards, and Hartell later faked out two defenders beneath the penalty spot and pushed the ball inside the near post.

“Raising that trophy,” Hartell said. “That’s the best part.”

In nine postseason games, the Falcons outscored opponents 35-3. Cox didn’t give up more than one goal in a game all year and outshot Battlefield 22-9.

The Falcons have five players committed to Division I schools, and a few more likely to join them. Afterward, Battlefield (17-4-2) sounded pleased it had provided a challenge.

“The talent level was so different,” Battlefield coach Ott Pimsaen said. “We had to play a low-pressure defense. They’ve been scoring four goals a game. To make it 2-1, we’re pretty happy. But we would have liked more.”

The Bobcats nearly got it. Harrison stuffed a shot in the goal mouth with a slide tackle in the first half and Battlefield barely missed a chance to tie with 5 minutes remaining when it couldn’t convert a cross at the far post. Adam Clements scored Battlefield’s goal in the 54th minute.

A year ago, Cox’s title was unexpected, finished off by Harrison’s overtime header, a pile of bodies forming after the goal. This time, the Falcons took a lead, then looked weary at the finish, holding off a surging opponent for the final 26 minutes.

The final whistle was met with relief as much as relish.

That didn’t make the moment any less enjoyable.

“This one is better,” Cox coach Scott Mead said. “This one was perfect.”

Cox 2, Battlefield 1

G—C, Albiston, Hartell; B, Clements.

Chris Carlson, (757) 446-2367, chris.carlson@pilotonline.com