Northville boys’ soccer saw their incredible 20-2 season come to a brutal, heartbreaking end on Sunday, falling 4-0 to an undefeated Chazy squad in the Class D state final. It was a lightning-fast knockout blow from Chazy (VII), who snagged their 11th state championship, finishing their season with a perfect 24-0 record.
A Minute That Changed Everything, Then Two More
The Falcons were hit with a gut punch barely 14 minutes into the game when Zeke McLennan broke the scoreless tie. Before Northville could even catch its breath, Aidan Howell followed up in the 15th minute, suddenly putting them down by two goals in what felt like the blink of an eye. Chazy kept the pressure on, with Landon Duprey putting the game out of reach in the second half by scoring twice more. That 4-0 final score at Middletown High School was a tough pill to swallow, especially given how dominant Northville had been all season. Remember, this Falcons team rolled into Sunday with an insane 17 shutout victories and a ridiculous plus-141 goal differential. Those numbers tell you exactly how stingy their defense usually was.
A Season of Grit and Family, Even When Facing the Rivals
This wasn’t Northville’s first rodeo with Chazy this year; both of Northville’s two losses this season came against them, including a 2-1 defeat back in early October. But getting to the final was a testament to their absolute grit. They had to battle back from 1-0 down with just seven minutes left against Edmeston Central in the regional final, with Magnus Halloran tying it up and McQuade Klippel scoring the winner with a mere 4:14 on the clock. Then, in Saturday’s semifinal, Ryder Wright delivered a golden goal in overtime with seven minutes remaining to beat Smithtown Christian 1-0. This Falcons squad fought like crazy to get here. For senior Niko Sevastakis, it was all about the journey with his crew. “Most people don’t get to this point,” Sevastakis said, “So I’m happy that we at least played the max amount of games we possibly could have, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.” He called his teammates “a big family,” even sharing that they all got buzz cuts this year, just like they bleached their hair two years ago for a state semifinal run. He added, “I learned a lot of things beyond soccer, being on this team.”
The Future Is Bright, Says Coach
Despite the tough loss, Northville’s community rallied hard for these guys. Coach Steve Clapper saw it firsthand, calling the community support “incredible” and saying it was “amazing to see the community come together and really support these guys who deserve that.” This was Northville’s second trip to the state final in three years. They actually beat Chazy 2-1 in overtime in the 2024 semifinals before losing to Hamilton in the final, but Chazy got them back last fall in the regional final. Clapper isn’t dwelling on the past. With a strong group of underclassmen ready to return next season, he fully expects this experience, as painful as it might be right now, to fuel their drive for another shot at the championship. His promise is clear: “We’ll be back here again. No doubt.”
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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