Cardinal Gibbons was breaking the huddle and about to walk on the field
for overtime and sudden death against Merritt Island in the girls' soccer
region final.
''This is not going to end here,'' sophomore Ally Buerose
shouted.
It didn't.
The Gibbons girls won that game and now make their way to the final
four in Tampa. History will ride in the bus across Alligator Alley, along
with the best soccer team Gibbons has ever produced.
They are the first to reach the state tournament and have a chance to
win not only the Class 4A state title, but a mythical national title, as
well.
The Gibbons girls (28-0-2) are the top-ranked team in the nation, and
two victories away from winning it all.
''They are still on an adrenaline kick and riding it out,'' Gibbons
coach Margo Flack said. ``They can't wait to get on the field.''
They get the chance at 2:15 p.m. Thursday when they meet Cypress Lake
(22-3) at the University of Tampa's Pepin Stadium. Another victory sends
Gibbons into Saturday's title game.
''This is what we have been playing for,'' Buerose said. ``We have come
a long way, we've already made history -- now let's keep it going.''
Gibbons is part of a Broward Renaissance, or Broward redemption. Last
year, when the state tournament was held at Lockhart Stadium, not a single
team from Broward showed up.
Three teams will be in Tampa, beginning with Douglas (20-3-3), which
meets Miami Springs at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Class 6A semifinals.
Douglas won five state titles in a row before Cooper City ended the
streak in the first round last season. In fact, Stu Katz, who came from
the boys' team to coach the girls this year, joked at the beginning of the
season, saying, ``I'm the only coach at Douglas who has not won a state
title.''
American Heritage (23-2-3) meets Boca Raton St. Andrews (16-3-1) noon
Friday in Class 3A semifinals, and would play for the title at noon
Saturday.
Heritage has not given up a goal in the playoffs, outscoring opponents
7-0. The only goal Douglas gave up was in the first-round game against
Cooper City, but Douglas was missing Kelsey Wys, who was with the under-18
national team in California.
Wys, who has 21 shutouts, hasn't given up a goal since. The state
record is 22. She will need to be sharp against an unbeaten Miami Springs
(23-0-2) team that has scored 18 goals in three playoff games.
Looking for a big scorer on the Gibbons' team? Look all day. That may
be Gibbons' best weapon -- an abundance of skilled and unselfish players.
''We don't have that girl with 40 goals,'' Flack said. ``If we score
five goals in a game, it may be from three, four or five different
girls.''
''That's the makeup of this team,'' she said.
The girls made Flack a promise at the beginning of the season to make
history.
Now they're heading for Tampa and a chance at winning it all, and just
like Buerose's words -- they are headed there loud and defiant.
