RICHMOND

As a high school athlete, the most desired aspect of being part of a team, beyond the chemistry amongst the players and the connection with the coach, is winning. Almost any athlete will tell you that losing is one of the worst feelings to experience.

On Saturday both the girls and boys soccer teams of Richmond High School competed for a chance at a state championship, the boys against Bangor Christian and the girls against Ashland.

The decision was split as the boys went on to beat the Patriots 3-0 to capture their first state title since 2007, and against Bangor Christian which had beaten them in the pairs first four meetings at the big game.

The girls on the other hand dropped their second straight state championship game after winning three in a row between 2010-2012.

Having the chance to see these two teams play for the ultimate goal was more than just another day on the job, but an experience that brought me back to my days as a high school athlete at Sanford High School. I only had the chance to be part of one varsity squad during my time there, but the culture was the same throughout the soccer and baseball teams I was a part of, those of a passionate group of athletes which even though we had trouble finding the winning side of a ball game, we hated to lose.

During both Gold Ball games for the Bobcats, I saw a group of kids who poured absolutely everything they had on to the field and as the cliché goes, they were all winners no matter the result. Both teams combined for 34 wins on the season with the only loss being the 2-1 overtime Ashland victory over the Richmond girls just four days ago.

In my experience I’ve been used to facing teams who have had the ability to dance the ball around you and make winning so effortless, and though it appears Richmond did the same thing throughout the season, it goes far beyond that. Sure both teams put talented athletes on the field that have the ability to move the ball around with ease, but they’ve worked for it.

“That’s what has been nice about these kids,” boys coach Peter Gardner said after the game on Saturday about his team. “I’ve been able to do different things with them and they’re able to adjust. They all play together and they’re athletics are so important to them and they just work extra hard.

“As far as sitting (Bangor Christian) down, that’s how we played all year long. We’ve played against a lot of good teams but our defense has just been really strong and it’s (winning the title) such a nice reward for the hard work.”

One example of this hard work and dedication comes from the feet of senior forward Marcus Blake. Watching him perform on the field while taking notes as the action played itself out in front of me is something I wish every fan had the chance to watch. The one aspect about his athleticism that I noticed right away is that he’s had to work to where he’s gotten.

After a regular season game against Pine Tree Academy, Gardner said that Blake’s energy is the same during a game as it is in practice and “that’s why he has the ability to do what he does on the field.”

But the Bobcats success extends far beyond Blake, as it blends through the entire squad, something that a lot of teams wish to have. But, the question that always remains is where does that come from?

“I knew the kids had an element of success, I just didn’t know to what extent.” Gardner said about the team when he entered the season for the first time as the Bobcats coach after nearly four decades of leading the Brunswick boys soccer program. “Our philosophy at the beginning of the season was to not focus on winning or losing because those things work itself out.

“I have two very excellent assistants in Ron Emmons and Steve Wullert, and what we really preached, and they (the team) bought into it, was a possession game instead of a lot of running up and down the field, although sometimes that happens. We really focused on those types of things.”

Though Gardner has been known for his longevity as a soccer coach, he’s had a career in teaching and has applied the philosophy from the classroom to the way he coaches the game, one he believes helps kids learn better on the field.

“It’s a very rewarding experience (to be a coach),” he said. “But, I told the kids at the beginning of the year that I’m not a coach, I’m a teacher. I told them that I was going to teach them how to play the game, but it’s down to them to make the decisions on the field, and the entire time these kids were buying into it and adapting to it.”

It was all about simplicity for the Bobcats, focusing on the physical nature of the game so that, as Gardner said, “In order for us to have success our defense was going to have to be really strong, and we worked on our fitness and the physical aspect to make sure we can maintain our game.”

Kendrick’s girls

Much of the same occurred for the girls, going 14-0 in the regular season and well out of the reach of any team in Western Class D. Richmond’s offense was the highlight of its season, scoring 83 goals while only allowing four, shutting out opponents in 12 of 14 games.

Seeing the intensity of the front line consisting of Kelsea Anair, Camryn Hurley and Amber Loon was an obvious answer to how the Bobcats found their success. Even midfielder Meranda Martin’s pure will for the game of soccer was thoroughly displayed, especially in the postseason when Loon was absent due to a non-injury related matter.

“Our numbers were down, we were really thin,” Bobcats girls coach Troy Kendrick said. “But the kids hung in there and I’m proud of them for that.”

For Kendrick he looks past the high school level to build success, working with the middle school players as much as he can to build their knowledge of the game.

“I’d like to think we put a lot of time into it, we certainly work hard in-season,” he said. “But I put some time in with my younger players in the middle school in the summer and in the winter I take them into an indoor league. The kids put their time in, we put our time in.”

Much like Gardner, Kendrick takes his knowledge as a teacher and applies it to the game, saying he strives for the same goal as he does in the classroom.

“I think the one thing that is gratifying is that I just want my kids to get better,” he said. “Just keep plugging away and keep going, I just want us to improve whether it results in a championship or not and I think we did.”

Anyone who watched the Richmond girls compete on the soccer pitch knew that every day was a new day for them. It didn’t matter what happened the day before and it didn’t matter what was coming up in the next few days.

“It always starts with the group of kids that you get to work with,” Kendrick said. “They’re hard workers and they’re focused. They were there every day and they kept their eye on the prize. I told them at the beginning of the season that, like any season, it’s not a sprint and you have to keep focus and keep working.”

With five straight championship appearances in the books for the girls, only four seniors will graduate from the squad, so the odds of another chance at the Gold Ball is in their favor, but the “one game at a time” attitude will always be at the forefront of the coaching philosophy.

As for the boys, four seniors will also exit their careers as a high school soccer player on a high note, but filling those shoes will be tough with players such as Blake and Cameron Emmons wrapping up their final year.

It’s a culture that every one wants to be a part of. Winning may not be everything, but if it’s anything that I’ve learned through my time as an athlete, and what the Richmond teams have displayed this season is that as long as you’ve done everything to your ability to win a game, that’s all that matters.

JACOB OUELLETTE is a sports writer for The Times Record. He can be reached at jouellette@timesrecord.com