State championship recap for SCHSL boys soccer
Columbia – The 2025 state championships for boys soccer were contested May 22-24 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia.
Two titles in class AAAAA, as well as titles in AAAA, AA, AA and Class A were decided. The championships included one team finishing with an undefeated season and another win its first title in school history.
Here’s a recap of the weekend. (will be updated)
Dixie coach Brian Gamble expects a slow start to most seasons. Many of his players participate in basketball and wrestling so time is needed early on to get the team chemistry right.
The chemistry was right in 2025 as Dixie won the Class A state title with a 2-1 victory over Hardeeville. It was Dixie’s first title since 2019.
“We graduated eight seniors from the team last year so we knew we needed some time to get these kids some experience,” Gamble said. “We definitely got better as the year went on and we thought we had a shot to have a great finish.”
Garrett Atkins gave the Hornets a 1-0 lead, finishing off a nice pass from Josh Beiler. Hardeeville tied the game with six minutes gone in the second half but Beiler broke the tie with his game-winner just two minutes later.
Both teams battled cramps as the temperatures began to rise and Dixie had just enough to hold off a frantic Hardeeville finish.
“We were hanging on by a thread, running on fumes at the end,” Gamble said. “I remember thinking we’d be in trouble if they got the equalizer. But we were able to hang on and survive.”
Riverside made history in the AAAAA Division II championship, winning their fifth consecutive state title, 3-1, over Lucy Beckham. It was Riverside’s 17th boys state title, which tied Bishop England for the most in SC prep history.
Will Knight scored two goals inside a minute of each other to break a 1-1 tie about 15 minutes into the second half to give the Warriors the lead for good.
Lucy Beckham scored first as Thomas Smith gave the Bengals a 1-0 lead with six minutes left in the first half but Riverside’s Gavin Weidman tied the game with :42 left in the half.
Riverside was just 10-8 during the regular season but won five playoff games to win the title.
Riverside's history-making win lasted only a few hours. Bishop England defeated Daniel, 2-1, in two overtimes to break the tie with their 18th state championship. It was the first title for second-year coach Brandon Costa.
“We’re a defensive team,” said Costa, a 2010 graduate of Bishop England. “The strength of this team is the backline. We have three all-state defenders on this team. We had to change what we do some after we fell behind but the guys did a great job of keeping Daniel off the scoreboard again to give us a chance.”
Rowan Pennell’s goal with 1:06 remaining in the second overtime proved to be the game-winner. Jonah Cooker sent the game into the extra 10-minute sessions, scoring with six minutes remaining to knot the score at one.
Earlier this season, Bishop England lost a regular season matchup with Daniel on penalty kicks so Costa expected a defensive battle in the finals. Daniel’s Luka Gasic gave the Lions an early lead, getting a goal five minutes into the contest.
After falling behind, the Bishops dominated the play, turning up the offensive push and keeping constant pressure on the Lions.
“We name our plays after our coaches and Costa is all-out attack mode,” the coach said. “The guys really did something special.”
Despite dictating the pace of play for most of the game, Bishop England trailed, 1-0, after Daniel's :Luka Gasic scored in the fifth minute of play. The Lions, seeking a fourth consecutive state title, opted to play defense for the rest of the night and it worked until late.
The Academic Magnet boys team capped a 23-1 season with an impressive 4-0 win over Andrew Jackson in the Class AA finals.
Coach Jason Hamil won his fourth state title with the program, their first since 2018.
“It’s incredible, these seniors and what they overcame after Covid and all the restrictions, this is the group that sort of brought us back,” Hamil said. “ I can’t say enough about this senior class in particular, batting through all and culminating with this.”
Jaden Daley scored six minutes into the match and later added a second goal in the first two minutes of the second half. Cesar Ramirez added a goal off a free kick 21 minutes into the match. Aiden Ruggiero closed out the scoring late in the match.
Two-time defending state champions Oceanside Collegiate was unable to capture a third crown as Powdersville won their first title in school history with a 1-0 victory in the Class AAA boys finals. Powdersville was in their first final after losing in the Upper State championship twice prior to this season.
The play was physical as both teams battled for an edge. The lone goal of the contest came with 12 minutes remaining in the contest as Ethan Piel found success. Piel also had the only goal in a 1-0 win of the Upper State championship. Powdersville was 23-3 this season.
“I am super proud of this group,” Coach Jeremy McCall said. “These boys, they deserve it. It’s a dream come true for them and for me.”
OCA appeared to have scored the equalizer as time expired but the goal was waved off by the official, who said the ball touched a player’s hand.
The Patriots also lost a goal in the first half when J.P Spearman’s header was nullified due to offsides.
“It was a good season,” said OCA coach Collin Phillips. “We didn’t have our best game today but that’s what the game is. You have to show up every day. I wish we could have sent our seniors off with another championship but that’s the way it goes.”
Seeking a perfect season, the J.L. Mann Patriots took on Ashley Ridge for the AAAAA Division I title. Ashley Ridge was seeking its second state title in three years after winning their first title in school history in 2023.
The Patriots were impressive throughout, building an early lead on their way to a 5-3 victory. The Patriots finish with a 26-0 record while Ashley Ridge was 22-4.
Mann scored two goals in the first 18 minutes to take early control of the contest. Timmy Reardon tallied two of those goals and Pietro Bono added a score as the Patriots led 3-1 at halftime.
Josh DeSouza scored two goals for Ashley Ridge to keep his team within striking distance but the nation’s third-ranked Patriots had an answer each time.
Austin Fuller found the net late to bring Ashley Ridge closer but Smith Darby sealed the deal for J.L, Mann. It was Mann’s first state title since 2015.
“All credit to the boys. They worked hard all season,” said J.L. Mann coach Brendan Jones, a former player at Mann. “They don’t quit and that’s something they can hang their hats on. This is something historic for this program, something these kids will never forget.”
