When soccer fans call the sport the beautiful game, they are talking about plays like this one.
Midway through the first half on Nov. 8 at Holmdel High School, a player from Holmdel dribbled down the left side and floated the ball into the box. Holmdel’s Henry Kiechlin, standing on the right side, chested the ball back across to a cutting Jack Giamanco.
Shore Regional High School’s goalkeeper had shifted across the goal line to play Kiechlin, leaving Giamanco with a wide open net. Holmdel’s leading scorer kicked the ball in the net to break the scoreless tie.
It was a beautiful team play that showcased how the Hornets have been winning all year. It also jump started another victorious effort by Holmdel, which successfully defended its Central Jersey, Group 2 state sectional tournament championship.
Holmdel retained the state sectional title with a 4-0 decision over Shore Regional in the championship game.
Giamanco scored two goals in the victory, raising his season total to 22. Kiechlin and Ryan Fergusen also scored.
Fergusen headed the ball over the goalie’s head from outside the box. He wasn’t even looking at the net when he did it.
The Hornets are an impressive combination of team chemistry and individual talent.
“My teammates work hard to get me the ball, and I just have to finish it off,” Giamanco said. “The first one today was a great ball and I just put it in. We work as a unit, and that’s what makes us great.”
“It’s huge to win the (state sectional) championship. It really is,” Fergusen said. “We’ve been working hard all season.”
Holmdel did not even celebrate after its victory on Nov. 8.
The Hornets high fived each other and shook hands. There was no screaming or dog piling. Just a few pictures with the state sectional championship plaque.
Holmdel has been here before, winning the state sectional championship in 2017 with a 6-0 victory over Monmouth Regional High School. It also expects to win every game. The Hornets are 20-0-1 in 2018 and 39-0-1 over the last two years.
But Holmdel still has one more trophy to win.
The Group 2 tournament semifinals were held on Nov. 13 when Holmdel played Delran High School at Hopewell Valley Regional High School.
A victory on Nov. 13 would send Holmdel to the Group 2 state championship game, which the Hornets won last year with a 4-1 victory over Dover High School.
The state group championship games are scheduled for this Saturday at Kean University in Union. The Group 2 final is slated to start at 3 p.m.
A victory over Delran would put Holmdel in the Group 2 title game against the winner of the semifinal between Hackettstown High School and Gen Rock High School,
“We just have to keep working and come out with energy,” Fergusen said. “Just do what we’ve been doing.”
Holmdel has been pummeling teams in the postseason, beating four state sectional opponents by a combined score of 27-1. The Hornets also outshot their first three sectional foes by a combined total of 48-6.
It would be hard for them to look any stronger going into the state group tournament.
“We’re strong and we’re really looking good for the state tournament,” Kiechlin said.
“Everything we’ve worked for comes down to this,” Fergusen added. “We just have to keep fighting in the future. Next big game.”
“We think we can go all the way if we just keep playing the way we can. That’s our goal, to win it all in the state championship,” Giamanco said. “It’s the bond we have. Everyone is so close. We’re always with each other and we just know what to do.”
The Hornets do not just know how to win games. They know how to win almost every game.
“We don’t look ahead. We go game by game,” Giamanco said. “Just like this. We didn’t look ahead of Shore. Now we’re looking forward to the next game.”
