Yarmouth boys top Caribou boys for another Class B soccer crown

FALMOUTH, Maine — Yarmouth High School was knocked out in the semifinals of the 2018 soccer season. On Saturday morning, the Clippers returned to their accustomed spot atop the Class B boys ranks at Falmouth High School.

Alejandro Coury scored two goals, including the back-breaker late in the second half, to lift Yarmouth to a 3-1 victory over Caribou for the school’s fifth state championship in the last six years and its 13th in program history.

Yarmouth completed an undefeated season at 15-0-3, while North titlist Caribou wound up 15-1-2.

The Clippers broke a scoreless deadlock with only 3:03 remaining in the first half.

Shortly after Caribou’s Deprey had headed out a long throw-in by Aidan Hickey, the ball wound up in the middle of the penalty area. It pinballed around as both teams struggled for control, but it was Coury who found himself with the ball on his foot and some space.

Coury wheeled on the ball and fired a low, left-footed shot that eluded the diving attempt of Cory Herbert to make it 1-0.

Yarmouth extended its lead to 2-0 after a foul in the box led to a penalty kick with 22:23 to play in the contest. Liam Ireland took the PK and punched a low shot inside the post to the left of Herbert.

Coury provided the Clippers with a big insurance goal at the 11:29 mark. After two Caribou players got tangled up, Coury picked up the ball, slipped into some space and fired a shot into the left-hand corner, well out of the reach of Herbert.

Ethan Holdsworth made certain the Vikings did not get shut out. After a free kick from deep in the Caribou end ricocheted off a defender, Holdsworth found himself with the ball along the left flank.

He made a spirited run, maneuvering past three Yarmouth players, and unleashed a low left-footed shot that beat diving goalkeeper Isaac Owen to his left with 8:09 to play to make it 3-1.

It was Holdsworth’s school-record 38th goal of the season.

Yarmouth had the better of possession and quality scoring chances throughout, but it was the Vikings who nearly broke the ice in the 24th minute.

Caribou got off a shot that went off the head of Yarmouth’s William Nicholas, who took out his goalie as the ball bounced off the crossbar. A second shot was redirected wide of the goal.

The Clippers kept the pressure on, but a diving fingertip save near the right post by Herbert kept the game scoreless with 6:00 left in the half.

Yarmouth continued to control much of the play in the second half. After Ireland’s PK, the Vikings nearly cut the lead in half with about 19 minutes left.

Holdsworth and a teammate made a run amidst a 2-on-1 that resulted in Holdsworth getting a good look from inside the box, but his shot went wide of the post to Owen’s right.

Caribou’s path to the title game included a 9-0 quarterfinal victory over No. 9 Lawrence of Fairfield, a 3-0 semifinal win against No. 4 archrival Presque Isle and its 1-0 verdict over No. 3 Mount Desert Island of Bar Harbor in the regional championship game.

Yarmouth had advanced by beating No. 8 Gray-New Gloucester 4-0, downing No. 4 Freeport 2-0 and defeating No. 3 Greely of Cumberland Center 5-1 in the regional final.