Even with a mostly new look team, Booker T. Washington boys soccer’s season ended the same way for the third straight year.
A loss in the Region 1-5A final, this time a 2-1 setback at Beachside.
Booker T. (10-6-3) controlled possession for most of the game, but the Barracudas (17-2-2) were opportunistic and scored both their goals two minutes apart a little more than midway through the first half.
The first came in the 24th minute on a rocket from about 30 yards out. The second came about two minutes later. Beachside turned away a Wildcats free kick and used it to spring a counter attack that doubled the lead.
Booker T. had the majority of the possession the rest of the way, but didn’t get on the board until Jace Tran had enough time and room after a corner kick deflected his way in the 77th minute. The Wildcats had another quality chance off a corner kick in the 79th minute, but the shot went high.
Booker T. had its moments before then, but couldn’t finish. The Wildcats battled through a bigger and more physical Barracudas squad to continue to create opportunities. They couldn’t come up with the final play until Tran’s goal, then ran out of time to get more looks at another.
After winning a regional title and advancing to the Final Four in 2023, Booker T. hasn’t been able to get back there. Beachside, meanwhile, advances to the Final Four for the first time since the school opened in 2022. The Barracudas will play in the 5A Final Four on Feb. 27 at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
But almost nobody expected the Wildcats to be playing in another regional final this season. Booker T. returned just two starters from a veteran team a year ago, losing a core that played in three straight regional finals.
The Wildcats entered the district tournament the first team out of the state playoffs, meaning they had to win a third straight district title just to keep their season alive. They did just that, beating Choctawhatchee for a third time this season in the district semifinals and then avenging two regular season losses to Gulf Breeze in the district final.
Booker T. entered the Region 1-5A playoffs with more confidence than a typical No. 8 seed, snapping No. 1 Arnold’s 75-match home unbeaten streak in the regional quarterfinals and then winning at No. 4 Gulf Breeze in the regional semifinals.
Experience that will only help a young group that should be a Final Four contender again next season. The Wildcats project to return their top five scorers from this year, but will graduate three starting defenders, most notably captain and reigning PNJ Co-Defender of the Year Keandre Hernandez.
However, starting goalkeeper Noah Nguyen and fullback Bo Sheffield are projected to return, giving Booker T. pieces to build around in the backline to fill out a squad that will enter the 2026-27 season with high expectations from the beginning.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Booker T. Washington boys soccer falls to Beachside in regional final
Reporting by Justin Fitzgerald, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
