Boys Soccer: Bethesda-Chevy Chase 2, Whitman 1

By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

Even after winning last year’s 3A state title, Bethesda-Chevy Chase boys soccer senior David Williams couldn’t help but feel like his team was still second in its own town.

That’s because Williams had never beaten Bethesda’s other soccer power, 4A Whitman, during his four years.

But that feeling is gone now as Bethesda-Chevy Chase scored a 2-1 win over Whitman on the Vikings’ field and on their senior night Wednesday.

Williams scored the game’s first goal and Barons senior Chris Woodruff put in the game-winner with 16 minutes, 35 seconds left in the second half.  The Barons are now 7-1-3 with their only loss coming against Clarksburg. Whitman falls to 4-4-2.

“This is the King of Bethesda and we got it,” Williams said. “We’ve got the bragging rights.”

The Barons came somewhat out of nowhere last season in winning the 3A state title. Despite their 12-3-2 final record, Bethesda-Chevy Chase was somewhat looked over as Montgomery County’s 4A giants, especially Magruder last year, earned a great deal of respect and attention.

And when it comes to the postseason, the Barons don’t get to challenge the county’s elite. They beat Urbana in last year’s 3A West regional final, then Southern Maryland’s Northern in the state semifinals before topping Bel Air of Harford County, 1-0, in the state finals.

“We always got looked down on because we’re a 3A team,” Williams said. “Whitman was always in front of us. We would never know until we played them. We got a chance and we gave them everything we’ve got.”

Williams scored in the game’s fourth minute when a throw-in was headed backwards by Whitman’s Max Hilbert and bounced over Whitman goalkeeper Zachary Khalifa. Williams found it on the other side and gently volleyed it into the net.

“That takes a lot of pressure off of us because we’re never a first-half team,” Williams said.

It perhaps took too much pressure off the Barons because Whitman immediately pushed the tempo and took control of the game after Bethesda-Chevy Chase took the lead. Senior midfielder Paul Torres made the Barons pay, scoring on an assist from Joaquin Cayrus less than seven minutes after Bethesda-Chevy Chase’s goal.

The two teams played fairly evenly throughout much of the game but a pure soccer enthusiast would have likely preferred Whitman’s game. The Barons centered around an attack with long through balls that allowed Williams and Woodruff to use their exceptional speed while Whitman more-patiently worked the ball up the field.

But the Barons’ speed is eventually what killed as a through ball all the way from the defense sprung Woodruff, who finished the game-winning goal low to the far corner.

“When the ball was played to me I knew I had to finish it,” Woodruff said. “I just gave it my all and put it in. … We have fast players up top and players in the middle that can play that ball so we just send them through.”

Bethesda-Chevy Chase is still playing without midfielder and University of Maryland recruit Ethan White, however, as White recovers from a calf injury. Woodruff said he has felt the need to step up without White by his side, but that the Barons have enough players to fill the void until White returns for the playoffs.