Quote: Congratulations Northwestern on your third consecutive State Championship in a rivalry that dates back to 2003 when I first started shooting video of the matchup.
Both programs have elevated the level of high school soccer to a point of filling up stadiums that were once empty compared to the crowds we wee today.
On the issue of the game itself, for all the criticism given Alex Martinez, I credit him with a tremendous defensive effort and the ability to play to the strengths of his team. His ability to hit Ricky and Dennis with passes when he got the ball against the run of play is what broke IRMO down.
IRMO showed much more poise in terms of style of play and possession, but it was the shear power of those three individuals that carried the offensive ability for NW last night.
The comeback IRMO mounted when everyone thought the wheels had come off when it was 3-0 after going into the half at 0-0 showed great team character. Every player should hold their head high as the number of goals scored during that period say nothing about the multiple near misses created by IRMO.
The final goal by Dennis with the assist from Ricky and Alex was nothing short of amazing and may be the only NW goal I caught on video as I was all the way down on the other end of the pitch.
I obviously hate to see the loss for the IRMO squad, but at the end of the day it's all about being creating your chances, competitive, playing with pride and leaving it all on the field.
IRMO will be back in form in 2011 and we all know Northwestern will be as well. Thanks for the great memories IRMO, NW and especially Ricky. Your five goals over the past two years are stuff of dreams. I expected nothing less, but certainly hoped for less. Well don Sir!
Also, congrats to the IRMO seniors who led the team all year. Each of you have been a pleasure to know and what grow as individuals and players. Go out into the world and continue to make a difference.
Manchester, why do you use all capital letters when referencing Irmo? Newspapers, television stations, and other media don't spell it that way and the school itself has never referred to itself as IRMO.
From the irmo High School web site:
Irmo falls within both Lexington and Richland Counties and is located within 10 miles of the capital, Columbia. The origin of Irmo tells the story of the railroad's influence. Irmo was incorporated in 1890 and flourished along the tracks of the Columbia, Newberry and Laurens railroads on the high ridge between the rivers. The town was named by combining the first two letters of the names of two railroad company men - C.J. Iredell and H.C. Moseley
'IRMO' in all caps is consistent with the way the name is displayed on every team uniform in the school.
