With a record of 15-4-1, the Rye boys soccer team finished last season as the No. 6-ranked team in New York Class A.
The Garnets advanced to the state tournament for the second time in six years, but their title hopes were dashed in one of the toughest ways possible: penalty kicks.
When asked where that game lives in his mind, Jared Small said he treats it like any other game.
“We filed that one away and moved on pretty quickly,” said Rye’s 17th-year boys soccer coach. “I’ll certainly never forget all what we were able to accomplish with last year’s team, nor our terrific group of seniors from the Class of ’25, but the group coming up this year has been working hard all winter, spring, and summer. Our roster isn’t quite set yet with tryouts starting soon, but our challenge this year will be, ‘Can we get back to the same level we played last season?’”
The Garnets have either won or competed in the section championship game each of the last seven seasons. Rye routed Ardsley 8-3 in last year’s section title game. The Garnets then played Our Lady of Lourdes, the Section 9 champions, to a scoreless draw before falling 5-3 in a shootout.
“I know it seems — certainly in the last few years — that most, if not all, of the Rye teams in boys and girls sports compete for the section title in every sport every year,” Small said. “But it hasn’t always been like that in Rye. And I think it’s pretty tough to maintain that level of competitiveness in soccer. Our current group of players is certainly aware of that history.”
The 2025 Garnets will be led by senior captains Shun Nagata and Lex Cox. Nagata is a skilled midfielder with great vision and durability. Cox, who could play any number of positions, is a versatile, fleet-footed defender who will command the attention of every Rye opponent.
“Just as important as our legacy of competitive soccer at Rye is the importance and responsibility we place on our captains each year,” Small said. “We ask a lot of our captains. Shun and Lex are ready to assume those leadership roles for their teammates and for their school.”
Along with Nagata, Rye also welcomes back juniors Peter Wilmot and Kacen Scarperi to round out their midfield. Sophomore Harrison Zimmer also returns as a starting defender.
“Peter is really the engine room of our team,” Small said. “We’re at our best when the ball is on his foot. These boys are fit, and they are focused.”
The fitness in the equation is owed in no small part to highly respected assistant varsity coach Jon Tuttle and his diabolical regimen of off-season training sessions. By now, Tuttle’s early-morning team summer workouts are famous. The workouts are so intense, Navy Seals might find them a bit too taxing. The secret sauce in the Garnets’ training is that the boys emerge mentally tough, too.
“When we get toward the end of our season with the playoffs looming, we can look around at each other in any team huddle and know that no team has worked harder than we have,” Small said. “It’s not just a line. It’s absolutely true.”
