Floral Park boys soccer takes home state Class A championship

MIDDLETOWN – The Floral Park boys soccer team heard the whispers.

They were likely there at the start of the season because it had graduated a lot of talent off a Nassau County semifinalist. However, even as they seemed to gain momentum at the close of the season, the Knights could still hear the doubters.

No one is whispering anymore.

Floral Park outclassed Section II champion Schalmont on Sunday afternoon and posted a relatively easy 2-0 victory in the state public school Class A championship game at Faller Field. The Knights were quicker and more technically skilled in every part of the field and played completely suffocating defense.

Floral Park (15-3-1) is state champion for the first time in school history. Schalmont finished 21-2.

Maybe no one else believed until the end, but the Knights did from the very beginning.

“We were doubted – people didn’t even think we could go as far as we did last year,” senior Ned Divine said. “But we’ve been working for something since March and believed. Once we won the Nassau championship, there was no stopping us because we had nothing to lose. At that point, you’re playing for each other and nothing would be better than winning with your friends.”

Asked how winning the title compared to what the Knights expected, junior Charlie McCarren replied, “It completely blows it out of the water – this is so amazing.”

“This came out of the power of believing in each other,” senior Michael Donovan said.

Floral Park got on the board in the 17th minute after senior Sam Ammirati lined up for a corner kick on the right side. Senior Michael Chery found a spot with no one between him and the goalmouth and went high for the header to score.

“We run that play and when I saw it go over the goalie it was wide open for me,” Chery said.

About midway through the second half, McCarren subbed in and immediately found himself with an opportunity. He had the ball on the left wing and dumped it off to senior Conor McCarthy who then made a pass to senior Aidan Conlon.

“I felt like calling for it and Aidan flicked it over the top to me,” McCarren said. “I put it right in the bottom of the net.”

To give some perspective on just how dominating a performance it was, Floral Park had a pair of goals taken off the board for narrow offsides calls. And the Sabres managed only two shots on goal. Their first shot was a 63-yard free kick with 21:15 to play that bounced high and senior goalie Oscar Dalton went high to get. Their second came from the wing with 6:30 left and Dalton corralled it easily.

“The biggest thing for this team was the work ethic and the belief,” Knights coach Ahkeel Rodney said. “We were doubted from the very beginning. But everyone could see – from the players to the parents to the community – how hard these guys were working to get better. And no matter what anyone else though, we knew this was a group of players that could rely on each other and fight for each other.”

Their title in the books, the Knights sought to cap the celebration by dumping the Gatorade cooler on Rodney, however the coach was too quick to get doused. It was an apropos ending. No one could catch Floral Park this season.