Youth/High School Soccer
Local teams challenge themselves at Main Line High School Jamboree
For a decade now, the Main Line High School Jamboree has provided a platform for top private and boarding school programs to schedule games against top competition and showcase their talent in front of college scouts. For local teams it’s been a place to challenge themselves and see how they measure up.
Twenty-four schools from Florida to New Hampshire participated in the two-day event, held this year at Westtown School. A total of 36 games were played on the school’s two new turf fields and a grass soccer field.
“You get excited when college coaches are asking yearly what the dates are going to be on the calendar,” said event organizer Shane Rineer, who coaches the boys team at Westtown School. “It’s always a great opportunity for high school kids to play against each other. And play teams that you don’t normally play.”
Westtown had a tough 3-0 loss to Hoosac, but rebounded on Sunday afternoon with a 4-1 win over Williston Northampton. Manny Freeman (Chadds Ford, Pa.) had a hat trick in the match for the hosts. Hoosac followed up their win over Westtown with a 4-1 comeback victory over Phelps, which beat a team from Woodstock 2-1 on Saturday.
“It is in my opinion some of the best soccer I’ve seen in a very long time, from top to bottom, from the teams that I know that were there to the teams we played,” said Aaron Thomas, who is in his first season coaching Phelps. “Our team I think performed very well against the competition.”
Phelps senior forward Funsia Donzo his side up in the first half against Hoosac, but the team from New York came back to tie it before halftime and added a pair of late goals after taking a 2-1 lead early in the second half.
South Jersey-based Life Center Academy returned for the fifth year this year and faced Episcopal Academy on Sunday afternoon.
“As a program that prides itself on helping our players get to the next level, the (Main Line High School Jamboree) has really helped us in this mission,” said head coach Joe Vianna, who has also scouted players for the college level at the event in the past. “Shane (Rineer) and crew put together a top level event year in and year out and this year was no different. We’re already seeing positive results for some of our players.”
Another match with two local teams included a Sunday afternoon game between Friends Central and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. Friends Central won the hard fought match 1-0.
Beyond the local teams, 7 of the top 15 schools in the latest Sports Illustrated Prep School national rankings were at the event over the weekend, lending itself to some quality contests and plenty for college coaches in attendance to consider.
“There’s a lot of intensity and pride in these games,” Rineer said. “And that’s what high school soccer is all about.”
