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The Marist miracle
by Brian Egeston
be@brianwrites.com
 Just another ho-hum week of sports for the Marist School. Varsity boys tennis–state champs. Varsity girls tennis–state champs. Varsity girls soccer–state champs. Oh, and the unranked varsity boys soccer team that was on the verge of a losing season beat the No. 1 ranked team in the nation 2-1 May 9 at McIntosh Stadium to earn the school’s fourth state championship victory in two days.
If anyone’s keeping count, that’s eight state championship titles in one school year. Marist also captured the AAAA state championships in softball, cross country and swimming for both boys and girls.
The War Eagles varsity boys soccer team began the season with a 1-3 loss to Greater Atlanta Christian and followed that game with a 2-3 loss to Fayetteville power house Starr’s Mill in overtime. In February, Marist traveled to McIntosh and suffered a 3-1 loss. Playing in Fayette County was proving hazardous to Marist’s win column.
Heading into the playoffs, Marist’s 11-6 record netted them a number two seed from Region 6 AAAA behind Chamblee who’d beaten the War Eagles 2-1 on their home field. A rejuvenated Marist squad shut out each team they faced in the first three rounds, the only playoff team in AAAA to accomplish such a feat. In the semi-final round, however, Marist faced Lakeside the defending state champions.
The two teams fought to a 0-0 tie after regulation play and 10 minutes in overtime to force a sudden death penalty kick situation. “The Lakeside game prepared us [for the championship],” said sophomore midfielder Agyeman Botchway. “We know how to play against a good team and an aggressive team because we played against a physical style like Lakeside.”
Marist got the first shot and stayed one step ahead of the Lakeside Vikings in the penalty kicks. Marist’s William Rafferty hit the fifth penalty kick to put Marist ahead 5-4 with Lakeside’s Jared Britt left to keep the match going. Britt was facing freshman goalie Vaughn Moore. Britt’s shot rocketed to the right corner of the goal, but Moore, anticipating the angle, made a diving save blocking the kick wide to give Marist the victory and a chance to face McIntosh at its home stadium in Peachtree City.
Things had changed for Marist and McIntosh since they’d last played each other. McIntosh had been given the nod as the best team in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) after posting a perfect season of 22-0. As of April 28, there were four Georgia teams ranked nationally by NSCAA. Marist was not one of them. According to the NSCAA’s Web site, Marist didn’t receive any votes for the rankings. The War Eagles had flown so far under the radar, they never even cracked a top 10 regional ranking by NSCAA.
But Marist had found its moxie after enduring a midseason war with Forsyth Central. In a March 20 matchup, Marist players went through much of the first half with the sun in their eyes on defense, and Forsyth scored an easy goal late in the first half. Forsyth Central scored again early in the second half, but Botchway answered with two goals to tie.
Moore took a rough hit in goal that left him on the ground unable to move.
Forsyth Central took advantage of the opening and scored from midfield in an empty goal. Early in the game, Andrew Eddy left the game with an injury and was taken to the hospital. Even with casualties, Marist managed to pull out a 5-4 victory. “That was a moment when we started to believe that we could actually be [champions],” said Marist head coach Brenden Murphy. “That was a turning point for us.”
The championship scene was
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