Holley’s trip to the C1 final recalls the Hawks first state championship season of 1990
Holley will wrap up the soccer season on Thursday evening as the No. 3 seeded Hawks visit top seeded East Rochester at 6 p.m. for the Section V Class C1 championship.
Because the COVID -19 pandemic has caused the state playoffs to be cancelled the sectional class finals is the farthest teams can advance in the postseason playoffs this season.
This trip to the class final though recalls Holley’s historic first state soccer championship in 1990.
That fall the Hawks claimed the state Class D championship with a thrilling 2-1 double overtime victory over Southhold of Long Island at old Clint Small Stadium in Tonawanda.
Keith Jarosinski scored both Holley goals in the second 10 minute overtime period to ease a 1-0 deficit.
Southhold, which had claimed the state Class D title five of the previous 10 years, took a 1-0 lead in the first 10 minute overtime.
Rebounding strongly, Holley knotted the contest just 2:21 into the second overtime period as Jarosinski scored on a rebound after Nick Voges initial shot hit the post.
Keeping the momentum, the Hawks then got the game winner when Jarosinski netted his 40th goal of the season with 3:01 remaining off a nice pass from Chip Sugar.
Holley had advanced to the final by blanking Roxbury from Section IV 4-0 in the state semifinals held at Byron-Bergen.
Sugar scored two goals while Jarosinski and Voges each netted one for the Hawks which led 1-0 at the half.
Holley’s long journey to the state finals began with four victories in the Section V playoffs including 2-0 over Scio in the Class DD quarterfinals, 3-0 over Honeoye in the DD semifinals, 3-1 over Baples in the DD final and 4-0 over Greenwood in the Section V Class D state qualifier contest.
The Hawks then won a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over North Collins in the Class D West Regional at Lew-Port to advance to the state semifinals.
North Collins took an early first half lead but Holley rallied to tie on a penalty kick goal by Jarosinski with 11:33 to go in the opening half.
Jarosinski later scored the game winner with a goal at 4:31 of the first overtime period.
Coach Dan Orbaker’s squad, which finished the season with a 24-1-1 record included Jarosinski, Sugar, Voges, Lee Dillenbeck, Frank Mitchell, Hai Nguyen, Scott Seely, Nick Hansen, Ben Schiavone, Tan Le, John Gorman, Brian Hein, Jeff Dinehart, Jason Rees, Rob Requa, Steve Young, Orlando Perez, Chris Mitchell, Mike Bennage, Carl Pedly and Ian Casperson.
The Hawks certainly kept the momentum from that historic season by going on to repeat as state champions in 1991.