DELAND, Fla. – One well-placed corner kick, a fortuitous bounce and 80 minutes of intense defense delivered the Creekside girls soccer team another state championship.
The Knights won the Class 7A title over Boca Raton in a 2-1 classic at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand on Saturday, putting the bow on an unforgettable season. Creekside (16-1-2) won its second championship in three seasons under coach Joe Soto and drove home the point just how superb girls soccer in the north Florida area is.
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Sarah Weisberg’s goal at 48 minutes broke a tie and sent the Knights on to the second crown in program history. It took Creekside weathering a ferocious Bobcats attack over the final 25 minutes with no shortage of big plays from front to back of the lineup to lock down the championship.
“We lost 12 seniors last year, we graduated 12 seniors last year, and I don’t think anybody expected us to be what we were,” Knights coach Joe Soto said. “And we were I mean, from the beginning of the season we established an identity, we kept that identity and we were fantastic all season. We’ve been very, very good. So, very proud of the girls. This has been, probably in my 24 years coaching, this has been the best experience I’ve had. Unbelievable experience coaching this team.”
Between Creekside (2022, ‘24) and Bartram Trail (2020-21 and ‘23), neighboring schools just five miles apart on Longleaf Pine Parkway, the 7A powers have combined to win the last five state championships. Add in Ponte Vedra’s win earlier Saturday in the 6A game and the area is dripping with some of the best girls soccer in the state.
“Just the best feeling I can possibly think of. All day yesterday, all day today, I was like ‘I want this.’ Like I want this more than anything,” said Creekside senior Avery Robinson. “On the bus, we’re like, ‘We want this.’ We need this. We want to be able to do it for our community, for our school, for our team for our coaching staff. And it’s just pure joy. Being able to play is just like a blessing and I’m just blessed by God to be able to do this every day.”
Knotted 1-all at the break, Weisberg set up on a corner kick eight minutes into the second half. She struck it perfectly and right into a cluster in front of the goal. A Boca Raton player went up to try and head it away but instead, sent it off the top inside of the post and into the net. With a 2-1 lead, the Knights weren’t nearly out of the danger zone. The Bobcats applied steady pressure the rest of the way and turned it into a physical battle until the very end. Chloe Iliff, who roped in a top shelf laser from 20 yards out to tie things in the opening half, had two opportunities in the same range after the break. But she was taken down hard one time and had a ball just a fraction too long on another try.
Iliff and UCLA signee Robinson were more effective as ball movers and defensive stoppers in the final slice of the game as the Knights cleared one ball after another and kept Boca Raton from tying things up. Robinson had the assist on Iliff’s goal.
“Crazy to have this opportunity again, I don’t even know what to think right now just hasn’t sat in yet,” Iliff said. “So, I don’t really know but I’m super excited about it. We fought so hard. So, the fact that we’re here now and we want to it’s crazy.”