Playing Hampstead in the Tri-County Class M title game, the Cawley Middle School boys were faced with a 4-4 tie following 70 minutes of regulation play, two 10-minute overtime periods and two five-minute sudden death overtimes.

But in the final seconds of the 100th minute, seventh-grader Tyler Gahara, who tallied all four of the Hawks’ previous goals, found a rebound at his feet and swiftly drove it into the back of the net.

“That was the most exciting soccer game I have ever been a part of,” said assistant coach John Lyscars. “It was a great battle of two evenly matched teams.”

Following the marathon affair, Cawley celebrated not only the Tri-County crown, but also retribution against the lone team to tarnish its otherwise flawless record.

The Hawks finished 14- 1, including the postseason, having lost at Hampstead, 2-1, earlier in the season before a 2-0 home shutout win later in the year.

Prior to the final matchup, the Hawks had allowed 10 goals all season.

“Everyone thought the championship game would be a defensive battle, and it was anything but,” said Cawley head coach Greg Shaw. “We really dominated all four overtime periods, and that had a lot to do with our conditioning in that we just had more stamina than they did.”

Hampstead went ahead first before the locals notched the next two goals to take the lead.

But the opposition showed equal fortitude, planting two more goals. The back-andforth battle continued as the teams reached the end of regulation.

And while Gahara accounted for all the scoring, Shaw said it was seventhgrade goaltender Chris Moquin who impressed late in regulation when he stopped three point-blank shots, which would have sent Cawley home as runner up.

Athletics director John Frazier said the title highlights the school’s attitude and standards.

“Our program values (athletic) development and sportsmanship,” he said. “As the development of (the student- athlete’s) abilities and winning a championship are the two main goals of our program, in addition to providing a healthy outlet for our players, it was just enormously successful.”

For Shaw, the championship is also an exclamation point on a plan come to fruition.

“Last year, we went to the semifinals and lost. This year was a more balanced team, and the key to this year’s success was that last year I took six sixth-graders and those six really became the core of this year’s team,” said the mentor of Gahara, Moquin, Austin Sprague, Rick Prindiville, Blake Cornelier and Tyler Cornelier.

But the leadership of Shaw’s eighth-graders was equally important to his team’s success.

Captains Andrew Kafegelis, Scott Bernard and Mark Lyscars steered the Hawks, while the solid play of James Smith, John Godbout and Trevor Reno kept the team on an even keel. Shaw pointed out Smith’s unexpected contribution to the championship run.

“He was in his first year playing, and having graduated four starting defenders last year, my greatest fear was obviously on defense,” he said.

“James was definitely my surprise player of the year.”

Other eighth-grade contributors were Tyler Legue, Ken Frasch and Chris Manning, while seventh-graders Brad Haskins, Sam Ward and Daniel Roberts were title winners in their first year on the team.

Shaw said he fielded a large roster – 21 players strong – to again afford young players invaluable experience, including sixth-graders Aidan White, Jacob Parker and Jenness Peterson.

He added he expects a similar result next year, perhaps even greater dominance.