MIDDLETOWN – Rye’s quest for the boys state soccer title came up one game short Sunday.
Just 16 hours after a hard-fought, late-night, lightning-delayed, and rain-soaked semifinal victory Saturday over Glens Falls, the Garnets laced up their still-soggy boots to face East Aurora in the championship game.
With a starting 11 that had become the talk of Class A for the past two weeks, Rye could not conjure any more magic on this blustery afternoon. East Aurora, the Section 6 champions, won the Class B state title in 2023, and on Sunday, added their first Class A state championship to the trophy case.
In defeat, Rye coach Jared Small was his usual gracious and classy self.
“East Aurora played an excellent game today,” Small said. “They were sharp when it mattered most, and I congratulate them. This was an absolutely fantastic season for Rye. We grew, and we got better every day of the season.”
As they have done throughout this memorable postseason run, the Garnets dominated possession in the first half. However, it was East Aurora that struck first, just under six minutes into the game, for a sudden 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Felix Wismer, and juniors Kasen Scarperi, Alec Dodge Terra, and Peter Wilmot all had excellent chances in the first half. But instead of the back of the net, their shots hit the post, or the crossbar, or were redirected by the unanimous Man of the Match, East Aurora senior goalkeeper Charlie Finnerty.
“We played a great first 60 minutes of this game today,” Small said. “If you’d told us that we were going to get that kind of effort from our team before the game, I would have been confident that we would’ve come out with a win, but it wasn’t to be.”
Although Rye entered halftime trailing for the first time this postseason, it felt like a matter of time before a breakthrough. With 18 minutes left, Wilmot launched a long throw-in into the box, and Scarperi had a great look at the equalizer, but it was deflected.
Just a few seconds later, East Aurora (21-2) countered with an insurance goal for a more comfortable 2-0 lead.
“To play two matches in 16 hours isn’t easy, but the boys were ready to go this morning,” Small said. “Even at halftime, we were confident we were going to win this game. Very proud of all of my players right now.”
The Garnets finish their unforgettable 2025 campaign as Class A state runner-up, with a final record of 18-2-3. They outscored their previous seven playoff opponents 29-1 before Sunday’s loss. After capturing section and regional championships, it was a great season by any measure.
Here’s the exciting part for Rye, and bad news for the rest of Section 1 and beyond: In 2026, the Garnets will return nine starters.
