WESTBORO – The numbers didn’t seem to bode well for Westboro, so the team tapped into emotion, energy and teamwork.
Despite competing against teams from larger cities such as Easton, Waltham, and Fitchburg, it was Westboro that emerged as the top sixth grade soccer team in all of Massachusetts. The team reached the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) finals in June, becoming the first Westboro team to qualify for the tournament since 2008.
Westboro’s team of 14 players went head-to-head against the top teams in the state. The team represented their town and beat hundreds of other teams in their quest to win the title.
“We're not a big team and there's a lot of really good football players in the state, but every single person on this team has a lot of passion and really wants to win. We know how to win and what we need to do to win,” Westboro player CJ Higgins said.
“We're a small town, but you don't have to be a huge town to have great players,” added teammate Carter Lamont.
A close-knit team
Westboro's championship didn't just happen out of nowhere, and while coaches have said their team has been good, few expected the town to reach such heights.
Joe Bouchard, Kurt Lamont and Mark Higgins have been coaching the team's players since they were in kindergarten soccer, and many of them have been playing together since the third grade.
“Coaching young players, you see them get better and better at each stage. I love to see the spark when they learn to pass the ball into open space and work as a team. They are a complete team from defence to attack,” said Mark Higgins.
While the coaches and players continued to focus on the small accomplishments — just making it to the MTOC was impressive — it was hard to ignore the signs that this team was special.
With “future superstar” Levi Miranda on offense and Carter Lamont in goal, the team recorded 8 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw in the regular season. This record is even more impressive as Westboro competes in the Boston Area Youth Soccer (BAYS) League, which is for teams from larger towns. As the westernmost team in the conference, Westboro won a play-in game against Natick to qualify for the MTOC.
What made this Westboro group so special? The coaches can only speculate. They reached out to the Westboro High School football coach and told him they had some special players who would become Rangers in a few years.
“I think different grade levels have different areas of emphasis, but this grade level we've really focused on soccer. Our students really love soccer. A lot of them play club soccer in addition to town soccer,” Bouchard said. “We've been talking about it all this time. This is amazing. We made it to the state tournament. It's unbelievable that we're going to this tournament.”
Although the team lost heartbreakingly to Newton in the championship game, the playoffs were magical: they first defeated the Central Massachusetts champions Upton-Mendon, then beat Easton and Waltham. They were tied 2-2 with Fitchburg in the semifinals, but Miranda scored with 45 seconds left to lead the team to the championship game.
“The teams we played were usually bigger and had faster players than us, but we were able to play together,” Miranda said.
“They come together as one team. They may not be in the same group at school or anything, but when they get on the field together they become one. They were excited and nervous. [in the playoffs]But on the field, they played without any nervousness or fear. They gave a million percent and they wanted to win the game. “They're very determined kids,” Bouchard said.
Mark Higgins said the parents came together to support this “gritty” Westboro team. The kids were used to cheering for each other. The loss was tough in the aftermath, but the trophy and medals made up for the disappointment. The players knew how special what they had achieved was. It was always their aim.
“What I learned at the beginning of the season was [our coaches] He told me this is his first season competing in the state tournament. [MTOC]”We were all really excited because we wanted to win. We have some superstars on the team so we knew we could win. We have great chemistry on the team,” Julian Semeter said.
“We're one of the two best teams in the state and we're a small town, which is unbelievable,” Bouchard said.
Meet the team
Congratulations to the Westboro 6th Grade Team!
Tyler Richards
Tucker Vioxx
Trent Richards
Satwik Dash
Neve Malle
Manav Pillai
Lucius Marks
Levi Miranda
Julian Semter
David Moreno
Connor Dubin
Cole Bouchard
C.J. Higgins
Carter Lamont
Coaches: Joe Bouchard (head coach), Kurt Lamont, Mark Higgins
