|
Summit's outstanding season is continuing in the North 2, Group 3 state tournament, including this past Saturday's 6-0 win vs. Carteret as, from left, are the scorers for the Hilltoppers in the match: Andrew Seamone, Teddy Mixon, Samuel Thomas, Jayden Torres, who had two goals, and Jeronimo Benavides. In the second photo are Sumnit captains, from left, Seamone (2), Luke Cain (6) and Mixon (4) who are seen reviewing game rules with officials before start of the match. (Photos by JR Parachini)
SUMMIT - The last three boys soccer North 2, Group 3 crowns have been captured by Union County squads, each team winning the championship game on the road by the score of 1-0. In 2023, second-seeded Summit won on a Thomas Flack goal late in the second half at top-seeded Colonia, giving the Hilltoppers their second North 2, Group 3 title in three years. In 2024, fourth-seeded Rahway won on a Ethan Carrillo goal in the second half at second-seeded South Plainfield, with the Indians winning the section for the first time since 2019. In 2025, third-seeded Cranford won on a Logan Welch goal in the second half at top-seeded Summit for Cranford's first North 2, Group 3 title. Summit and Rahway have an opportunity to keep Union County's dominance of North 2, Group 3 going. As a matter of fact, a Union County team has won the section every year but one since 2021. Summit won in 2021 and 2023, Rahway in 2024 and Cranford in 2025. Matawan won as the seventh seed in 2022, with top-seeded Summit getting upset in the quarterfinals at home by eighth-seeded Colonia 2-0. The Wednesday, Nov. 11 semifinals pit fourth-seeded Rahway (14-7) at top-seeded Summit (19-1) at a time to be determined and 14th-seeded Cliffside Park (14-5-1) at second-seeded Randolph (15-5-2) at 4 p.m. The final is scheduled to be contested Saturday, Nov. 14 at the higher seed at a time to be determined. Summit has won 18 in a row since its only loss to Elizabeth 1-0 at home in its second game on Sept. 8. The Hilltoppers defeated the Minutemen 2-1 in the Union County Tournament championship match Oct. 31 at Johnson High School's Nolan Field, winning the penalty kick shootout 3-2, to capture the program's fourth UCT title and first outright. Rahway has won four in a row and eight of its last nine, with the only blemish in that stretch being a 3-2 loss at Cranford in the UCT quarterfinals. Randolph has won two in a row. On Oct. 24 the Rams lost to Delbarton 3-0 in the Morris County Tournament championship game played at Randolph reached the North 1, Group 3 final the past two seasons, winning at Ramapo 1-0 in 2024 and then falling at Ramapo 2-0 in 2025. The 2024 squad won at Rahway 1-0 with one second to go in double overtime in the Group 3 semifinal played at Rahway. Randolph was then defeated by South Jersey, Group 3 sectional state champion Shawnee 2-0 in the Group 3 final played at Franklin. Defending North 2, Group 3 champion Cranford finished 11-4-2 after falling at home as the third seed to Cliffside Park 4-2 in this year's first round of the North 2, Group 3 playoffs. After making program history by winning the UCT not shared for the first time, Summit is now out to win North 2, Group 3 for the first time since 2023. The Hilltoppers also have designs on capturing the Group 3 state championship for the first time since 2021. The next step for Summit is getting past a tough Rahway squad coached by longtime successful mentor Kevin O'Callahan. The teams clashed once this year in the season-opener for both back on Sept. 3 in Rahway, four days before Labor Day. Summit scored twice on goals by Maxim Kalinichenko and Cruz Romano in the first half and then Carrillo scored for Rahway in the second half, with Summit holding on for a 2-1 triumph. "We know Rahway has a strong team, but we're such a different team from then," said Summit senior back Teddy Mixon, one of five team captains and also one of five Summit players who scored in his team's dominating 6-0 quarterfinal round home win over ninth-seeded Carteret Saturday, Nov. 7. "We're much more together now." "I think the shots were 4-4 when we played; it was very close," first-year Summit head coach Dan Jamnik said. "We're definitely a different team as I'm sure Rahway is. We're talking two months later into the season to manage injuries and make changes." Summit, under one-year head coach Kevin Cahillane, went 15-4-1 last year and was also the section's top seed. The Hilltoppers are now one win away from reaching the sectional final again at home as the top seed. Summit's 18-game winning streak has seen the Hilltoppers yield only nine goals. Summit has given up 11 goals total and not more than one in any of its first 20 matches. "We're just taking it one game at a time," said Mixon, who will continue playing in college at Division 3 Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. "Sticking together and improving are the keys. We're not arrogant, but confident." Summit is one win away from surpassing its win total of 19 in 2021 when the Hilltoppers went all the way that season to capture overall Group 3 honors. "Our success is a testament to our players," said Jamnik, who was promoted from within and who was also an assistant coach on the Dayton boys soccer team that gained a share of the 2009 Group 1 state championship after capturing North 2, Group 1 honors that season. Jamnik is a 2003 Dayton grad. "The kids have bought in," Jamnik said. "They're fighting for each other. They want to win and continue to put their best foot forward." Under head coach Ben Stuart, Summit went from a 3-8 pandemic-shortened season in 2020 to going 19-5 in 2021 and winning North 2, Group 3 and then Group 3. Summit dominated South Jersey, Group 3 sectional state champion Cherry Hill West 8-1 in the 2021 Group 3 state championship match played at Kean University's Alumni Stadium in Union. In head coach Matt Schachtel's second of three seasons at the helm in 2023, Summit went 12-7-3. After winning at Colonia to capture North 2, Group 3, Summit lost at North 1, Group 3 sectional state champion Garfield 3-2 in single overtime in the Group 3 semifinals. Summit's UCT championship win over Elizabeth on Halloween will surely rank with any of the sectional titles, and the group crown the Hilltoppers have won recently. "It was so special, so incredible," Mixon said. "It was pure emotion from us all the way down to our fans, family and the whole community." 2026 NORTH 2, GROUP 3 SEEDS: 1-Summit. 2-Randolph. 3-Cranford. 4-Rahway. 5-Nutley. 6-North Plainfield. 7-Matawan. 8-Colonia. 9-Carteret. 10-Millburn. 11-Ferris. 12-North Hunterdon. 13-Chatham. 14-Cliffside Park. 15-Payne Tech. 16-Orange. FIRST ROUND: Tuesday, Nov. 3 Wednesday, Nov. 4 QUARTERFINALS: SEMIFINALS: 4-Rahway (14-7) at 1-Summit (19-1), TBA 14-Cliffside Park (14-5-1) at 2-Randolph (15-5-2), 4 p.m. FINAL: SUMMIT HILLTOPPERS A good cast is worth repeating. The players: Head coach: Dan Jamnik Assistant coaches: Matt Schachtel, Kevin Cahillane Follow JR Parachini on 'X' @parachini_jr
Summit captured its fourth Union County Tournament championship and first outright this season. The Hilltoppers other three UCT cornws were shared with Pingry in 1976, Westfield in 1980 and also Elizabeth in 2019. Copyright 2005 Sideline Chatter - comments - contact the webmaster
|
|
