By Tom Schmitt

For the Mirror

The area scholastic fall soccer season has been a hotbed of excitement.

It has been highlighted by two longtime local coaches earning their 100th career victories for their respective teams. Altoona Area High School boys coach Dave McCarter and Bishop Guilfoyle Academy girls coach Joe DeLeo each reached that milestone during big wins for their teams.

McCarter’s came in a 2-1 victory over arch-rival Hollidaysburg, and DeLeo’s came in a big 6-1 win over Bald Eagle Area. McCarter has been coaching the Altoona boys team for 26 years, the last nine as head coach. McCarter gives much of the credit to his assistant coaching staff, which consists of former Mountain Lion players, and to working with a great group of kids.

McCarter told his high school coach during his playing years that he wanted to come back and coach soccer at Altoona and develop players. McCarter has garnered three District 6 championships during his time as head coach. McCarter said so many people he had coached with stood out as real game changers like Tim Morris, Anthony Young, Jace Black, and Mike and Joe Alianiello. He said there were several dozen that had the ability to turn a game around.

DeLeo has been coaching since 2000, while serving as the BG head coach since 2016. In his nine years as head coach, he has won two District 6 championships and took his team to the state semifinals last year.

This year’s squad looks tough again with only two losses and, playing in the Class 1A playoffs, could have another deep run toward a state championship.

Top performances

One of the most incredible scholastic games of the season was a 4-3 Altoona Lady Lion come-from-behind double-overtime win over Chambersburg in which Eva Frye ended the game with a 38-yard, 8-foot-high boot over the keeper’s head.

Other incredibly exciting games have been the Central Lady Dragons’ battle with rival Bedford, which ended in a 4-4 tie, and both the backyard brawls between the Altoona and Hollidaysburg boys and girls teams that went down to the wire.

Several players have been spark plugs for their teams and have been on fire scorching the nets. Altoona senior Alli Little, headed to Iona after high school, was described by coach Marc Frye as having an exceptionally high soccer IQ and leader by example as she has over 12 goals thus far this season. She had a critical part in victories over Chambersburg, State College and Bishop McDevitt.

Altoona boys player Jace Black, one of four outstanding soccer playing Black brothers, was key in scoring winning goals against Hollidaysburg, Chambersburg and Bishop McDevitt. Black comes from an extremely athletic family where his brothers were standout players for the Lions, and his mother, Jodi, was an outstanding gymnast.

Bishop Guilfoyle sophomore Emma Marasco was described by DeLeo as a remarkable player for someone her age and plays a relentless style of soccer. She led the Marauders in wins over Richland and Forest Hills and has 10 goals so far this season. She will be key to Bishop Guilfoyle’s run into the PIAA playoffs.

A great moment

The game of soccer was at its best during the 2024 Paralympics when competition for the gold medal took place for the blind players.

These unsighted players, following only the beep of the ball, displayed phenomenal ball handling, passing and shooting skills. They have a quick pace of play and play a very physical game. The crowd erupted when host team France won the gold medal in overtime with penalty kicks.

The love these players had for the game was evident throughout the entire Olympic tournament as players from every team entered were present at the finals.

Stepping down

After 50 years, PIAA referee Jim Fee is concluding his final season with the whistle.

He had earlier concluded his final season of PA West games. Fee finishes with more than 6,000 games under his belt as a referee.

Tom Schmitt writes a monthly soccer column for the Mirror.