Fishburne Soccer Stuns Hargrave

Caissons Overcome Early Onslaught and Late Man Advantage to Defeat Tigers

Chatham, VA – recap from Coach Lacey –  The Fishburne Military School Caissons’ Varsity Soccer team (4-8), despite a short bench, pulled off a stunning upset at Hargrave

FMS file photo

Military Academy on Friday afternoon. Hargrave successfully blitzed in the 1st minute for their sole goal of the match. From then onward, the Caissons kept the ball firmly in the opponent’s half for the majority of the clock.

After five offensive drives, Captain Hamed Al Hinai (Vienna, VA) struck by an assist from Midfielder Austin Lee (McLean, VA) in the 31st. The defense in the first half was led by Micah Reid (Charlottesville, VA) in steals. Keeper Benjamin Pugel (Wahington, DC) had light work with eight saves. Both sides were awarded an equal number of free kicks.

The second half was far more physically intense from its outset–and very much in Hargrave’s favor with the sun directly in front of the Caissons. Fishburne nevertheless leaned forward into Hargrave’s turf again, mounting three successive drives. An excellently placed throw-in from the far sideline by Midfielder Charles Wilson (Norfolk, VA) in the 56th led to a breakaway strike by Captain Al Hinai, which would be the game-winning goal.

In the 68th minute there were multiple penalties which resulted in three Caisson red cards and two red cards for  Hargrave.

Due to the reds, the remaining twelve minutes of the match were played 8 v 9 in Hargrave’s favor.  Despite the opponents’ extra-man advantage, the Caissons continued to mount successive drives and repulse every attack.

Midfielder Chento Marron (Rhinebeck, NY) led the defensive efforts in the second half with the team’s most steals. Keeper Pugel, despite a minor injury in the 74th, saved an astonishing nineteen in that last half alone for a shutout (a most impressive 27 total for the game / and a heroic 188 for the season in-all). Both sides, under the watchful gaze of the referees, exchanged handshakes and best wishes before the Caissons began their long yet duly hyped trek home.

Fishburne Military School is the oldest and smallest of all military schools for boys in Virginia. Its college-prep curriculum is built on the structure of an Army JROTC program. FMS has been designated as a JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction and may nominate qualified candidates to the United States Service Academies. Fishburne hosts one of only four Summer JROTC programs in the nation that is accredited by US Army Cadet Command.