Bridge Tender, AM Bath Time take it all in youth soccer

ANNA MARIA – Just as the school year came to an end for most Anna Maria Island area kids, the youth soccer season at The Center finished with two championship games last Tuesday night. Both the 8- to 10-Year-Old league and 11- to 15-Year-Old league took to the pitch with team Bridge Tender and team AM Bath Time victorious.

With Colin Bankert protecting the Bridge Tender goal, finishing the big game with five saves, his team’s offense fought a tough Beach Bums defense. Bankert’s counterpart, Alex Serra, held his own at the Beach Bums goal with three saves against heavy hitter strikes.

Beach Bums’ Dylan Sato had the lone goal for his team that finished the regular season ranked fifth, only to play in the championship game.

In a close one, team Bridge Tender won the big game in the 8- to 10-Year-Old soccer league championship match-up last Tuesday night at the Island’s community center. – Monica Simpson | Sun

Closing out the season in third going into the playoffs, Bridge Tender showed why they deserved to make it into the final game. Logan Stevens scored the two goals for the winning team, helping to earn his team the title of season champions for the 8- to 10-Year-Old soccer league.

Throughout the season, the Beach Bums team rallied and fought hard thanks to D. Sato and A. Serra’s teammates, Preston LaPensee, Brandon Sato, Noah Shoulson, Charlie Serra, Penny Payne, Julian Whipple-Anderson, Avaya Kohlmeyer and Mia Ross.

On the other side of the pitch, Stevens and Bankert were joined all season by Matthew Winsper, Callin Westfall, Lexi Baugher, Madeline Kimmons, Kason Davis, Elijah Brannock and Quinn Schlereth.

In the follow-up game, the teens matched up on the field for the final game of the season. The top-ranked Blalock Walters worked hard with two players in goal to stop the AM Bath Time offense. Cale Rudacille finished with two saves and teammate Malia Keith made three stops, but their efforts just were not quite enough.

With goals by JM Fenney and Jackson Packbaz, Blalock Walters just could not make it happen in the championship head-to-head. The firepower of AM Bath Time’s Jack Mattick was just too much. Scoring four goals in the game, Mattick’s points were compounded by single scores by Maddox Culhane and Frankie Coleman.

The big win could not have happened without the five critical stops by Mya Ferrari working as the keeper for AM Bath Time.

The loss was tough for team Blalock Walters, but it was not without an appreciation for all of the players on the squad that got them to the big game. In addition to the solid play by the scorers and goalies in the championship game, the other members of the team, Jack McCarthy, Gabriella Gilbert, William Pakbaz, Paxton Powell and Victoria Perry, helped to make the successful season possible.

Getting to the final game of the season, and defeating the top seed team in the championship game was thanks in part to the AM Bath Time team effort by Caden Quinby, Noelle Baird, Madison Farrari, Ava Harlan and Katelyn Cecil throughout the season.

With the close of the youth soccer season, the adults enter the world of playoffs Thursday night. In quarter-final action, #3 Flynn Law faces #6 Sandbar, while #2 C.A.B.B. challenges #7 Sato Real Estate.

Top seed Beach Bums takes on the last place Salty Printing team, and in the middle of the pack, #4 Killer Bait will match up against #5 Slim’s Place, each team working hard and focusing on the championship game scheduled for Thursday, June 24 at 9 p.m. at The Center.