Coming into the 2020-2021 season, there were a lot of questions on the table for the boys varsity soccer team. Who would they play? How would they be able to play with masks? What would they do if somebody on the team had to quarantine? Still, there was one thing that wasn’t up for debate: this team was set on redemption.

Last season, the boys came into the section championship with a 17-2 record, but ended up losing to Ossining in heartbreaking fashion. This year, the boys kept that game in their minds and worked hard to achieve redemption. As senior striker Marko Kecman (‘21) told the Globe, “We worked hard together. We had to have a few guys quarantine throughout the season, but we powered through and made the most of every day we got to train.”

Coming into the championship game, the team held a record of 13-0-1. Their opponent was White Plains, who delt the team the only draw they had this season. In the words of captain James Jogis (‘21), “We were extremely motivated. Our goal was to win the championship, do what we couldn’t the year before, and get revenge.”

After going down 1-0 in the championship game, it real took leadership to spark a comeback. As Jogis puts it, “In the back line I had to direct my fullbacks and work well with my other center backs to make sure people were in the right places. I made an effort to lead the younger guys as well. But even down 1-0 early on, I had full confidence in this team to bring it back.”

In the end, with the leadership of captains James Jogis and JM Decaux (‘21), as well a hat-trick from Kecman, the Tigers defeated White Plains 4-1 and were crowned Southern Westchester Large School Champions. This is the first meaningful championship the Mamaroneck boys soccer team has won in over 20 years. Kecman told the Globe that “It felt amazing to win the championship. We got the chance to make the finals like we did last year, but redeemed ourselves this year. We brought the championship home and it feels great.” When asked about his outstanding personal performance, Kecman responded, “Scoring a hat-trick was insane. Doing that in the last game of your high school career feels great. My teammates set me up really well and I was able to finish.”

Overall, this season was one to remember for the boys. To sum the season up, Jogis told the Globe, “It was difficult to adjust to playing with masks at the beginning of the season, but we got used to it pretty soon. Even though it wasn’t a true section one championship, it still holds as much meaning as it would given the adversity this team has faced.”