I am happy to report that yesterday the Boys Varsity Soccer Team defeated Exeter in the NEPSSA Division 1 final to win the coveted Stewart Cup. This is the first time this team has won the Class A Championship and the Cup named after Berkshire legendary coach, Jackman L. Stewart. Under Coach Stewart, Berkshire's 1969 side went undefeated (13-0-1) and won the  WNEPSSA Cup for the first time. They were considered the the best prep team in New England.   The 1971 side, captained by Glenn Partridge, also won the WNEPSSA Cup at a time when there wasn't a tournament to determine the unified New England Title.

Times and the game have changed. Berkshire, now playing Class A, was undefeated in the regular season with a 16-0-1 record. Elite Soccer Report named Berkshire the number one prep school team in the nation, and the team was seeded number one in the New England Tournament.

Playing at home last Wednesday on a crisp Fall day under the Mountain, they defeated a strong Choate team 3-0 in the Quarterfinal in front of their own fans and parents. On Saturday afternoon, they defeated Kent, a very skilled team that they had narrowly defeated in the regular season, in a dramatic, phyical, 2-0 victory at home in front of a dedicated core of fans that included many alums, parents, faculty, and some die-hard classmates. Unfortunately, one of their top players and a co-captain, Noah Sinkoff, was injured and was unable to complete the game. Undeterred, the Bears persevered and earned themselves a spot in the Finals against Exeter.

On Sunday, they took the neutral field at Middlesex School with a singular mission: to bring the Stewart Cup to Berkshire. All four Division Finals, as well as two All-Star games, were taking place  at the same time and the fields were mobbed. A large contingent of alumni, including several who had captained this storied club in the past, former and present faculty, parents, and students, showed up to cheer on this amazing team. Jack Stewart's wife, Elly, made the trip down  from New Hampshire with her family. She didn't want to miss this. Equally, Exeter had their own 'mob' and the excitement was palpable.

Across the field on the scorer's table the Stewart Cup sat shimmering in the sunlight, waiting. It's not easy to hold your breath for 90 minutes. Many have waited for years to witness this moment.  Nervous fans paced the sidelines.

For the first 10 minutes, the ball went back and forth. Berkshire settled down to their game of quick, short passing, reversing the field with 2 and 3 touch play. They had several great opportunities but were turned away by a very strong Exeter defense. For those who have not seen them play, Berkshire has some very skilled individual players who can take anyone on one-on-one. Their strength comes from their collective team play, 2 v. 1 and 3 v. 2. They created magic by movement and space and explosive runs. They seemed to know where their teammates were without looking or speaking. The Bears continued to craft beautiful plays deep into the first half. Exeter's goalie came up big and their defense continued to play strong team defense to keep Berkshire at bay. The half ended scoreless but it was obvious the Bears were playing with confidence.

Moments into the second half, Zeiko Lewis '13, Berkshire's Co-Captain, all time top scorer, Head Prefect, and a true leader by example, unloaded a long, left-footed shot from the ride side of the field that hooked into the upper left corner - a perfect shot that Exeter's goalie couldn't come close to. The fans erupted.  Berkshire settled right back into their game, and less than two minutes later, they put together a play that sprung Lewis again and he scored on a perfect shot to the lower right corner.

As the game progressed, Exeter was forced to take some chances and Berkshire's defense and goalie did their job to keep it scoreless. Berkshire scored again but they were called offside. The Bears  demonstrated tremendous team play all over the field to control the game. As the final seconds ticked away, they showed poise and sportsmanship in winning the title. Each player on this team played a role in the success of this season. Each stepped up when they were asked. They will tell you they accomplished this together as ONE.

To go 19-0-1 and win the Stewart Cup was their goal. Their desire and dedication to show that their ability, their work ethic and their unwavering commitment to each other brought them to this Championship moment. For those of us that were lucky to be there, it was a sight to behold and we all share in their success.

After gracious words by Andover Head Coach Scott, who was a Suffield player on the team that played in the 1969 Championship game against Berkshire, Elly Stewart presented the Cup bearing her husband's name to Coach Moodey and the Berkshire team. After the ceremony she told me how much this meant to her and how happy she was to be a part of this memorable day.

We all thank the Boys Varsity players, their coaches, their parents and all our Berkshire students for making this a great success story. THEY ARE BERKSHIRE!!

We will never forget and neither will they.

-  Robin McGraw '70, WNEPPSA CUP Champion 1969, former Head Coach

Click here to read Head Coach Jon Moodey's recap of the game.