Every title run is remembered for the finish — the final victory and ensuing celebration that accompanies being crowned champions is a memory that stands the test of time.
But looking a little deeper, past the glitz and glamour of the end result, it's clear that the early moments in a season are just as important to building a winner. It's in the preseason and those opening couple weeks of the year that teams establish their identity.
Such was the case for this year's River Hill boys soccer squad that ended up finishing the season unbeaten (18-0-1) and captured the program's first state title since 2007.
The Hawks had graduated their two on-the-field leaders — Zach Riso and Jake Turney — from a year earlier and there were question marks heading into the fall as to who was going to guide this group.
It didn't take long, though, for junior Mike Heitzmann to announce himself as the man for the job.
Building on an amped up offseason training regimen, Heitzmann hit the ground running this fall and, as the Hawks leading returning scorer, embraced the role of someone capable of putting the team on his back.
"Looking back on it, Mike was the one that established the tone for us," said River Hill coach Matt Shagogue. "We had five or six games in those first 10 or so days, and they were some tough games too. So it was critical for us to hit the ground running, and I think Mike understood that and he carried us. His play early allowed us to get in a rhythm and then all of a sudden everyone found their roles and we were clicking on all cylinders."
Heitzmann ended up scoring at least one goal in eight straight games to open the season, having a hand in almost 50 percent of the team's scoring during that stretch when you factor in a pair of multi-goal games and a trio of assists.
"From the very beginning, I had that last game of last season — the loss in the (state) semis — on my mind. I knew I didn't want to feel that feeling again and to get to where we wanted to be, we had to be focused from the start," Heitzmann said. "I never set out to score tons of goals or anything like that. I just wanted to do whatever I could to help the team."
While his pace slowed in the second half of the year as he battled through a sports hernia, Heitzmann still finished with 12 goals and 5 assists and served as a catalyst down the stretch for River Hill's memorable run back to prominence on the state level.
It's because of that complete package that Heitzmann has been named the Columbia Flier/Howard County Times boys soccer Player of the Year.
"Mike will tell you, I saw the potential for him to become this kind of player very early on," Shagogue said. "There were times when he was a freshman and I would pull him aside on the walk back from our practice field and tell him he could be as good as he wanted to be … he had the talent, it was a matter of how bad he wanted it.
"So to see him now, realizing that potential … as a coach, there's nothing better than that."
In terms of positioning, Heitzmann saw time at forward and as a central midfielder. No matter where he was, though, he possessed an attacking mentality.
After a junior season where he scored 10 goals, he knew all eyes were going to be on him to produce.
"I was more of a secondary guy last year, wasn't really in the spotlight too much, so I knew I was going to be seeing a lot more attention with guys like Jake and Zach gone, and I had to be ready for that," Heitzmann said.
There were plenty of standout efforts by season's end, including game-winning goals against Howard in overtime and Oakland Mills during the first few weeks.
But it was later in the year, on the same field at CCBC-Essex that the Hawks saw the previous season come to an end, that Hetizmann had his defining moment. Early in the second half of a scoreless game against C.M. Wright in the 3A state semifinals, Heitzmann delivered a curling free kick into the left side of the net for what turned out to be the lone goal in a 1-0 River Hill victory.
Heitzmann went on to add an assist on the Hawks' first goal in the state championship game a week later and was able to celebrate the perfect end to a memorable season.
"That goal in the semifinals was definitely a big one, especially considering the circumstances, but that state championship is the thing that's going to stick with me forever," Heitzmann said. "For all the personal experiences and accomplishments, there's nothing quite like that moment of accomplishing that ultimate goal with your teammates."
While Heitzmann did gut it out on the field in the playoffs, Shagogue ponders exactly what kind of season his star junior could have had if not for the sports hernia injury that first occurred in the middle of September against Howard.
He battled through the pain as best he could, only missing one full game (against Atholton) and portions of a couple others, but he was noticeably less fit than during the first few weeks of the season.
It's that potential to see what a fully healthy senior season could bring for him that Shagogue expects to drive Heitzmann this offseason.
"The bottom line is that Mike is not the kind of kid that's going to become complacent … he's too competitive for that," Shagogue said. "There's a big part of him that understands the history of the school and the program and he wants to be mentioned in the same sentence as some of the all-time greats.
"He has that drive to constantly be more, and do more and I'm excited to see what next year brings."
Named to the all-county first team are:
Forwards
Phillip Bonsu, Wilde Lake. It was a turnaround season for the Wildecats, who raced out of the gates in county play. Bonsu was a huge part of that, as the speedy forward did a lot of the heavy lifting offensively. He didn't always start games, but it never took long for him to make his presence felt.
Out of the team's seven wins, Bonsu delivered a goal or an assist in six of them. Along the way, he had game-winning goals in 1-0 wins against Hammond and Glenelg.
On top of being such an integral part of the team, coach Jon Robinson said it's the way he handles himself that really makes him stand out.
"On a team that worked hard every day, Phillip always did it with a smile," Robinson said. "Phillip is a heck of a soccer player, but more importantly he's a great student and representative of Wilde Lake High School."
Gavin Boyer, Howard. In his first year with the Howard program, Boyer brought the kind of offensive threat the Lions had been missing in recent years. He finished with seven goals and an assist, but coach Nils Schroder says that only tells half the story.
"Beyond the numbers, the simple threat that he posed being on the field opened everything up for us," Schroder said. "Some of our other guys that never had room to operate the last couple seasons suddenly had space because Gavin was drawing so much attention. If team's don't man mark him, he dominates."
Boyer possesses a great shot and instincts, but his dribbling ability may be his greatest attribute. "His touch is pretty amazing, but, not only that, he's always dribbling with a purpose," Schroder said. "He's doing whatever he does with a plan to get himself to goal or create something for our offense."
Boyer had lots of big goals, but none bigger than his goal in the 4A North regional final that turned out to be the game winner and advanced the Lions' program to the state semis for the first time in 25 years.
Atticus Cooke, Mt. Hebron. The junior forward was a nightmare for opposing defenses, as he possessed the daunting combination of size, speed and smarts.
"Atticus is obviously very skilled, but he's also very intelligent as a person and as a player," Mt. Hebron coach Mike Linsenmeyer said. "He understands where to be on the field and that led to some great games for us. His numbers were very impressive."
Those numbers — 13 goals and 9 assists — ranked him as the top public school player in the county in terms of total points (35). And he did a great job of spreading out his production for a Vikings' team that scored a county-best 63 goals.
Cooke had a goal or an assist in all but a handful of games this fall. Among the highlights were having two goals and an assist in a 3-0 win over Howard, along with a goal and two assists in a win over Centennial in the 3A East region semifinals.
David Harris, Reservoir. After a slow start to the season, Harris finished with a flurry. On his way to a team-high 12 goals, Harris scored at least once in six of the Gators final eight games
"We felt like we weren't being dangerous enough in the first half of the season out of our 4-5-1 formation with David out wide, so we decided to move David up top (with Carvell Akuffo). After that, he absolutely took off," coach Josh Sullivan said. "He has unbelievable speed and, when you add in his tremendous ability to finish, he was almost impossible to stop when he got the ball in the offensive third."
Among the highlights this season were four contests — against Howard, Centennial, Atholton and Wilde Lake (playoffs) — where he found the net twice.
Dylan Royalty, Atholton. Even before the season began, Atholton coach Roch DeFrances was saying this was the year Royalty was going to break out. The truth is, the Raiders' long-time coach has been impressed with the dynamic forward's potential since he first saw him.
"He's been with me since he was in the sixth grade and started coming to my camp in the summer, and you could see even as a little kid running around that he had so much skill," DeFrances said. "This year I knew with his speed on the ball to go with now great poise, he was capable of beating any defender in the county."
Royalty delivered on his potential this fall with eight goals and six assists, building on a sophomore year where he had produced five goals and two assists. Atholton's attack was designed to get him the ball in space. "We did our best to isolate him on the wing and then he would do the rest," DeFrances said.
Among the highlights were a game-winning goal against Howard and a pair of goals in an early-season victory over Manchester Valley.
Midfield
Javier Avetrani, Oakland Mills. From a talent standpoint, the Scorpions' midfielder draws exceptionally high praise from Oakland Mills coach Don Shea, who is the county's longest tenured coach. "In terms of technical ability, he's one of the top five players I have had in all my years of coaching," Shea said.
To try and take advantage of that skill level, the Scorpions played Avetrani at a number of different positions depending on the game situation. While center half is probably his best position, he also showcased an ability to play up top when needed and that resulted in a huge jump in terms of his scoring numbers. His four goals and nine assists gave him 17 points overall and ranked him second on his team.
"He has really excellent ball control and he's very good at taking players on," Shea said. "We tinkered a lot, having him play striker two or three times, then play sweeper a few times and then other times we had him at left-wing half."
Joshua Fawole, Long Reach. The kind of player that literally can do a little of everything, the Lightning took full advantage of that versatility. "He plays a lot of different roles for us, almost any position on the field," coach John Horner said. "He showcased that he can even be a shutdown defender in our (1-0) win over Reservoir."
Fawole's technical skills really showcased themselves when he was able to push up and help the offense. He finished the season with seven goals and three assists. The season highlights included mulit-goal games against Glenelg and Mount Carmel. Horner was just as impressed with the things, though, that don't show up on the stat sheet.
"I saw a real improvement in his preparation and leadership," Horner said. "I told him very early on that he was going to be a captain and he really relished and embraced that. As his skills obviously continue to improve, it's those extra things that have really taken him to the next level."
Serigne Gueye, Reservoir. Already an athletic and physically imposing guy in the middle, Gueye transformed himself into a dominant all-around player this fall. The 6-foot-2 senior was the one orchestrating the Gators' offense and making things happen for his strikers up top.
"He was the quarterback on the field and I think we saw just how much he meant to us when he went out with an injury for a few games," coach Sullivan said. "He sets up players in incredible positions, really distributing the ball well with both his left and right (feet). He was our vocal leader out there."
Gueye finished the season with 19 points (seven goals and five assists) and he really spread out his production. He had a goal or an assist in eight games, with standout efforts coming against Centennial (two goals) and Oakland Mills (two assists).
Tomas Hedges, Mt. Hebron. Extra effort in the offseason and in practice paid huge dividends this fall for the Vikings' midfielder. He was the heart and soul of a team that came together to produce the county's most explosive offense.
In addition to his top-notch skill level, coach Linsenmeyer said he was even more impressed by how far he pushed himself to continually get better.
"Tomas was our best player and also our hardest worker pretty much game in and game out … to have a guy be both of those things is a very rare thing," Linsenmeyer said. "He had to play a bunch of different positions when people were hurt and he stepped in and never second-guessed anything."
Hedges finished the season with eight goals, including a game-winner in overtime against Fallston, but his greatest contribution was undoubtedly as a passer. The Vikings would get him the ball and let him create and he responded with a county-best 11 assists.
Chris Johnson, Atholton. On what was still a relatively young team, Johnson was the rock in the middle that made everything go. "He was the guy bringing the ball to our frontline and making things happen," coach DeFrances said. "His ability to hold the ball was his best attribute … he could literally take the ball on the center left and bring it all the way over to the right, taking on people, and keeping it on his foot the entire way."
Johnson spent much of last season on the outside, but DeFrances says "he came to me right around our first scrimmage (this fall) and said he preferred to play center mid. We moved him there and from there on, his game just took off."
By season's end, Johnson was tied for second among the county's public school players with 29 points (10 goals and nine assists). Season highlights included the game-winning goal against Wilde Lake, along with multi-assist games against Manchester Valley, Oakland Mills and Long Reach.
Defense
Jay Bucci, River Hill. A three-year starter for a Hawks team that won county and state championships this fall, Bucci's experience was invaluable according to coach Shagogue. "He knew our zonal system like the back of his hand and the guys just naturally followed him," Shagogue said.
Bucci isn't the biggest guy, but he uses his body exceptionally well and is very smart about his positioning. His calm demeanor was a stabilizing force for what ended up being one of the best defenses in the state.
"You rarely see a change in his disposition … just never too many ups or downs," Shagogue said. "There is nothing flashy about him, but he's just so consistent and so good at the little things — communicating and directing the guys — that I can honestly say he's one of the best defenders I've ever coached."
Jordan Griggs, Howard. In his first year with the team, Griggs fit in right away, according to coach Schroder. He moved around a lot early in the season, helping in a number of different areas, before he settled into his role as a central defender. But even then, Griggs was given the opportunity to push up.
"We gave him free reign to move forward as he saw things happening and his versatility really helped in that respect," Schroder said.
Griggs ended up with six goals and three assists. He was responsible for starting Howard's comeback in the region championship game, scoring midway through the second half in what ended up being a 3-1 victory. On the defensive end, his size and athleticism allowed him to dominate balls in the air.
"With him in the back, there was no such thing as a 50-50 ball … it felt more like 90-10 balls in our favor," Schroder said. "It wasn't just his size, it was his timing as well."
Kyle Saunderson, Reservoir. As a holding midfielder that doubled as a center back this season as a senior, Saunderson rarely was afforded the opportunity to put up the gaudy stats he might have had if he played up top. But, for those that watched him play, it was always evident that his skills on both sides of the ball were truly at an elite level.
"What he does, a lot of it doesn't light up the stat sheet, but they are all things that help you win," coach Sullivan said. "Every ball in the air in the midfield, Kyle seemed like he won them all. He has a great long throw, he's a great target on set pieces and he has a huge leg that is great on clears."
Saunderson, a first-team all-county selection for the second-straight year, still managed to put up some strong offensive stats this fall. He scored three times and ranked second in the county with 10 assists. Even more impressive was that he registered a goal or an assist in 10 of the team's 12 victories.
Goalies
Noah Bathras, Atholton. A starter since midway through his freshman year, Bathras has steadily worked his way to his current position as one of the county's top goalies. This fall, he was constantly making difficult saves look routine. "He's a big, tall kid and he uses every bit of his frame to his advantage. He's very rangy," coach DeFrances said. "He single-handedly was capable of keeping us in games."
Some of Bathras' best games, according to DeFrances, actually came in losses. He "stood on his head" in an early-season loss against a highly-ranked Severna Park team, and then later made 10 big saves in an overtime defeat against River Hill during the regular season. Bathras finished the season with 84 saves and a save percentage of 84.8.
As a little icing on top, DeFrances says his junior goalie's punts and goal kicks "are at a college level right now."
Tomas Potts, River Hill. A starter from the beginning of his freshman year, Potts reached an entirely different level this season in terms of confidence and ability. He boasts the prototypical frame and make-up to be a dominant force between the pipes.
"He reads the game really well, he's big, he's strong and he's physical," coach Shagogue said. "He's the complete package back there."
With a great defense in front of him, Potts wasn't tested too much throughout the year and therefore finished with just 54 saves. When he was asked to step up, though, he was ready for the challenge. The highlight of the year came in the region championship game against Mt. Hebron, where Potts made 11 huge saves and eventually helped the Hawks prevail in a shootout.
"If there's any game that speaks to who he is, that's it. It was save after save … he literally saved our season," Shagogue said.
Potts and the River Hill defense proceeded to record two more shutouts, giving the group 13 on the year, en route to securing the 3A state championship.