State soccer: Boca Raton boys defeat West Orange to claim fifth title in program history

BOCA RATON – The redemption tour is complete for Boca Raton boys soccer.

The Bobcats scored two first-half goals en route to a 2-1 victory over West Orange to claim the Class 7A state title, the fifth in program history.

Goalkeeper Carmine Ricciardi had a performance for the ages, while his West Orange counterpart could only watch as two separate saves spilled into the waiting foot of a Bobcat on the prowl in his own box.

“We feel on top of the world,” Ricciardi said. “We knew we were the best team in the state. We knew that last year, too. It was just due. It was time. We deserve this, man.”  

How they got here:Boca Raton boys defy the odds with epic comeback to reach state final

It took just 10 minutes for Boca Raton (24-0-2) to get on the scoreboard, with Bryan Silva collecting Felipe Magalhaes’ rebound to punch home the early advantage.

It took just another 10 minutes for Cesar Patrullo to take advantage of Christian Gonzalez's rebound.

“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Cesar Patrullo said. “I came here for one reason, and that was to win a state championship.”

In the interest of damage control, the Warriors switched to another goalkeeper during the first water break, but the damage had already been done.

As the boys erupted in cheers during the triumphant moment – Patrullo hoisting the trophy as his teammates surrounded him – head coach Marcelo Castillo displayed a sense of serenity in speaking with reporters after the game.

After last year’s unfortunate suspensions derailed a team Castillo is adamant would have won states, Saturday’s victory in the state title game meant the veteran coach could finally do something he hasn’t been able to for quite some time.

Breathe a sigh of relief.   

“I’m very ‘at ease’ in the sense that this team deserves a state championship,” Castillo said. “ Sometimes, if you don’t work hard for what you deserve, it can get taken from you. So, I’m very happy, and I’m very, just, calm that they got what they deserve.”

But it was not always smooth sailing.

Despite being up 2-0, the game nearly took on a pattern eerily similar to Thursday’s semifinal when West Orange scored off a controversial foul to cut the deficit to a single goal. 

Ricciardi was a figurative brick wall, amassing saves both crucial and jaw-dropping as the Bobcats weathered West Orange’s storm in the final 10 minutes. 

“I trained all year for this,” Ricciardi said, displaying humility beyond his years, despite the adrenaline. “It just pays off. It’s a final. How could I not stay focused?”

With several minutes remaining in the contest, Ricciardi found himself in the middle of a scramble in the box as the ball came dangerously close to crossing the goal line before being cleared. 

So close, in fact, that West Orange players stopped play, celebrating a goal that was not to be.

In the end, Boca Raton was able to accomplish everything the program set out to do.

“To go an entire season undefeated is unheard of," Castillo said. "And the state championship was the icing on top of the cake.”