Prep boys soccer: Sebastian Joffre lifts Gulf Coast to 4A state title in overtime

Editor's Note: Adds Cameron Heise to list of seniors mentioned.

DeLAND – Redemption … is a gold medal around your neck and a championship trophy to hoist.

At least that was the case for the Gulf Coast High School boys soccer team Saturday night.

Sebastian Joffre’s goal with 5:41 remaining in the first overtime gave the Sharks a 2-1 victory over Neptune Beach-Fletcher in the Class 4A state championship game at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand.

More:Boys soccer: Gulf Coast wants to make up for two years ago by winning state title

More:Prep boys soccer: Sebastian Joffre powers Gulf Coast into Class 4A state championship

It’s the second state championship in school history for the Sharks -- and the second in Collier County history; they won the first in 2013. And just as importantly to them, it erases the taste of the defeat they suffered in the state title game two years ago.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Sharks coach Alan Scott said. “I’ll celebrate it and I’ll enjoy it, just like I did the first one. I knew two years ago we had a group of kids that could make another run.

“But these things, you can never take for granted. The run itself is so difficult. You face so many difficult teams in our classification. Our region is so hard. It’s an accomplishment in itself just to get to this game.

“But for myself and my program, being here three times in five years out of Collier County, that’s unheard of for a public school. We’re going to enjoy this.”

That team that lost to Belen Jesuit in 2016 had eight sophomores. And in their senior season, they were determined to get back to the title game and win it.

Joffre was one of those seniors, and he certainly lived in the moment, Saturday, scoring the game-tying and winning goals.

The game-winner was particularly impressive as Joffre took possession of the ball just outside of his own box and dribbled it all the way up the field, placing a shot against the Fletcher goalkeeper, who had the ball go off his hands and roll behind him into the net to touch off a wild celebration.

“We didn’t want to go PKs or to a second overtime,” Joffre said of his game-winning goal. “I had the chance to take it and just dribble it all the way and fortunately, I put it in.

“I’m just happy. We deserve it. We wanted it more than they did.”

It certainly was a fitting way to end the high school careers of Joffre, goalkeepers Sebastian Jiminez and Patrik Damen, Cameron Heise, Frankie Rodrigues, Miguel Fletes, Ismael Fletes, Luis Ortiz, Stephen Votapek, Evan Smith, Frederico Marti Garro, Eli Parker and Sergio Tejedor.

All season long, the Sharks have been saying they are more mature than they were two years ago, and never was that more evident than how they were able to respond after Fletcher scored in the game’s opening two minutes to take a 1-0 lead.

Instead of panicking the way a younger team might have, they simply dug in and got the game-tying goal with just under 20 minutes left in the first half.

“This was the first time we’ve been down in almost six weeks,” Scott said. “For us, it was a reality check, but I think it actually made the game easier for us because we knew we had to attack.

“Sometimes, you’re trying to feel the game out. At that point, you’ve just got to go. It turned a switch on for us and I loved the way we responded.”

Damen, who had been Gulf Coast’s starting keeper until an injury, said he was happy to see the Sharks not only get back to the title game, but win it.

“It’s just so relieving,” Damen said. “The first time (the loss in the title game two years ago), it just hurt us really bad. Coach promised me specifically that we’ll get you back. It’s just such a relief that we got back and we did it.”

As they were posing for their team photo and holding the state trophy, the players made sure to take a bite out of their shiny new gold medals.

So, that’s what redemption tastes like.

“It tastes nice. I love it,” Damen said. “It’s definitely an upgrade from silver, and it’s the only (medal) I ever want to wear. I never want to see that silver one ever again.”