In the minutes following championship heartbreak, the McLean boys’ soccer team gathered around head coach Leland Jameson. The postseason had been a dream for the Highlanders, as the team qualified for a Virginia state championship for the first time since 1995. But that dream ended abruptly Saturday, as Cosby scored on a free kick in golden goal overtime to earn a 2-1 win and keep the Highlanders from a trophy.
“I love this team,” Jameson said afterward. “This is my favorite team I’ve ever coached and it’s been a hell of a ride. After the game I just wanted them to know they should be proud of everything they’ve done.”
For the first time in recent memory, not a single boys’ soccer program from northern Virginia captured a state championship. In fact, McLean was the only local squad to even make a state final this spring. Riverside made it farthest in Class 5, falling to Cox in a penalty shootout in Friday’s semifinal. In Class 4, Loudoun County and Park View fell in the quarterfinals.
Despite coming up just short of a title, the resilient Highlanders headline our final rankings of the spring season.