When the final whistle was blown on an unseasonably mild February Thursday on the campus of Jackson Preparatory School, the Washington School Generals boys soccer team could finally let the celebration of being state champions begin. The victory was years of hard work in the making. The Generals’ 3-0 triumph over Manchester Academy in the Division III Boys Finals was, indeed, an emphatic exclamation point.
“This feels amazing,” said senior William McGee. “I started with this team in the 7th grade, and I have worked my tail off for this team. We came up short a couple times a few years ago, but this right here is the best feeling I have ever felt in this sport.”
The state championship for the Generals was the first for the program since 2016 and the first for Jeffrey Giachelli as the head coach. Coach Giachelli first started as a volunteer for the team years ago under the leadership of former head coach Jim Allen.
“This championship is not about me, but this has been a long time coming,” Coach Giachelli said. “We had a chance in 2020 during my son’s (Will Giachelli) senior year, but we fell short in that game. This team has worked hard. They came together and they deserved it. It was nothing I did special. It was about how hard they worked. They paid their dues and stuck with it, and it paid off today.”
A penalty kick made by McGee with 2:30 left until halftime was the first goal in the game and seemed to give the Generals confidence as they came back after halftime and dominated both possession and scoring opportunities in the game’s final 40 minutes.
After a scrum near the Manchester Academy goal, Reid Henderson headed in the second Washington School goal in the opening minutes of the second half.
“I really don’t remember much about the score,” Henderson recalled. “All I know is you have to get it in somehow and that is what happened. This win feels amazing. Everybody played 100 percent the entire game.”
The game’s final goal was scored on a brilliant header from Robert Word on an assist from Henderson. While still 20 minutes remaining, Word’s goal seemed to all but seal the win.
Coach Giachelli added that the seniors on the team were crucial in the Generals winning the title. The Washington School seniors include Luke McPherson, Daniel Signa, Harris Garcia, Lathan Powell, Avery Coslett, Nathan Thompson, William McGee and Wade Fratesi.
“The seniors are great kids, and they have been with me for a long time. There was no one person that anyone could really pick out on us. Everybody did their part and played their role and knew what they were supposed to do. More than anything we were an unselfish team and that was the biggest key to our success,” the Washington coach said.
