Sports

By John Bernhardt
The Margaretville boys’ soccer team was backed up against the wall. With the clock showing less then 10 minutes to play, Margaretville trailed Roxbury, 2-1, in Friday’s Section IV quarterfinal contest, and you could feel the Blue Devils’ season slipping away.
But conditions changed with lightning-like ferocity.

By John Bernhardt
Lightning didn’t strike twice for the Margaretville boys’ soccer team.
After falling behind, 2-0, early in Saturday’s Delaware League title game at the Soccer Hall of Fame fields in Oneonta, the Blue Devils hoped to find the same magic that lifted them to a come-from-behind, regular season, victory over the Rams. Margaretville tried the same formula, rallying to knot the score during the close of the opening half.

Following are the names of the boys' and girls' soccer players from the Delaware League who have been selected for first-team, second-team, and honorable mention recognition as 2008 Delaware League Soccer All-Stars.

By John Bernhardt
The road to the Delaware League Boys’ Soccer Championship may have taken some unexpected twists and turns. Yet, when the teams crossed the finish line of the regular season last week, there were no surprises among the division winners.
Margaretville shutdown Stamford, 3-0, to finish at 9-1 in Delaware League play, the champions of the Upper Division. South Kortright crushed Roxbury, 7-0, to take the Mountain Division crown. Margaretville will challenge the two-time defending Delaware League champions, Saturday, at the National Hall of Fame complex in Oneonta.

A four-game slide has turned the Andes boys’ soccer season upside down. The Mountaineers lost two games last week to run their loss streak to four and even their record at 6-6. The Andes’ offense has struggled during the turnaround.

By John Bernhardt
It was time for the Margaretville Blue Devils to set themselves apart from the pack in the Delaware League’s boys’ soccer race. A crowded schedule last week saw the Blue Devils playing three league opponents, with a chance to stake their claim as the team to beat in the Upper Division. The Blue Devils did just that, downing Downsville 4-1 at home before besting two contenders, Davenport, 3-1, and Andes, 3-0, on the road.

By John Bernhardt
The American economy is not the only slowdown to hit late September of 2008. Last week, in Delaware County soccer league play, area girls’ soccer teams experienced a slow down of a different sort. Goal production slowed to a standstill last Thursday as all three local teams suffered shutout losses.

By John Bernhardt
Area high school soccer teams had a busy week between tournament play and league matches.
Mayor’s Cup Results
South Kortright 1, Laurens 0
Two local soccer powers squared off Saturday night in the championship round of the Stamford Mayor’s Cup. Laurens, unbeaten and perennial contenders in the Tri-Valley League locked horns with the Delaware League’s unbeaten Rams from South Kortright.