PERFECTION! Emerson Tigers Complete Undefeated Season, Capture Back-to-Back Coastal League Championships More than 200 community members come out to support Bar Harbor kids.
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PERFECTION! Emerson Tigers Complete Undefeated Season, Capture Back-to-Back Coastal League Championships

More than 200 community members come out to support Bar Harbor kids.

just now

A youth soccer team in green jerseys posing for a photo in front of a soccer goal, holding a trophy. The team includes several boys and girls, with a coach on the left side.
The Championship Conners Emerson Soccer Team. Photo by Michael Newman.

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Maine Seacoast Mission.

A dark blue baseball cap with the year '1905' printed in white on the front, alongside the Maine Seacoast Mission logo and a message promoting a gift of $19.05 for the organization's 120th anniversary.

by Peter Hastings

BAR HARBOR, MAINE — Perfection!

The Emerson Middle School Tigers have done it again! Led by head coach Ally Bender, the Tigers capped off a remarkable season last night with a commanding 6–0 victory over Sumner Middle School, securing the Coastal League Soccer Championship and finishing with a flawless 13–0 record.

The victory marks the Tigers’ second consecutive Coastal League championship and second straight undefeated season, an extraordinary accomplishment for the school’s middle school soccer program.

Throughout the season, Emerson dominated on both ends of the field, outscoring opponents by an impressive 5-to-1 ratio. The championship match was no exception, as the Tigers delivered a complete team performance to finish their season in style.

In the championship game, the Tigers were nearly impenetrable. Led by the outstanding defensive efforts of Tiana Graham, Delfina Presa-Guzman, and goalkeeper Dillon LaMotte, Emerson shut down the Sumner attack, preserving a clean sheet in the championship contest.

A female soccer player in a green uniform dribbles the ball on a grass field while a male player in a white shirt attempts to evade her, with a goal net in the background.
Tiana Graham. Photo by Keri Hayes of Biggest Fan Photography.
A youth soccer player in black and green performs an acrobatic kick to strike a soccer ball, with a goal net and other players in the background.
Henry Hastings. Photo by Greg Dalton.
A youth soccer match in progress, featuring two players wearing white and black uniforms chasing a boy in a green jersey with a captain's armband, who is dribbling the ball on a grass field.
Henry Hastings. Photo by Keri Hayes of Biggest Fan Photography.

On the offensive side, Henry Hastings delivered a spectacular five-goal performance, providing the firepower that put the championship firmly in Emerson’s hands. Broderick Jordan added the finishing touch with a commanding strike from just outside the 18-yard box, sealing the 6–0 victory.

But perhaps what made the evening most memorable wasn’t simply the final score or the perfect record. It was the overwhelming support from the community.

Despite Emerson students currently being displaced from their school due to ongoing construction, more than 200 spectators from both communities turned out to cheer on the 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade athletes. Parents, grandparents, classmates, friends, and neighbors filled the sidelines, creating an atmosphere worthy of a championship match.

A female soccer player in a green uniform kicks a white soccer ball on a grassy field, while a male teammate runs beside her.
Delphina Presa-Guzman. Photo by Keri Hayes at Biggest Fan Photography.
Four girls sitting together at a sports event holding colorful signs supporting players Delfina and Tiana, with messages highlighting their strengths.
Fans. Photo by Keri Hayes at Biggest Fan Photography
Group of enthusiastic supporters at a sporting event, wearing white shirts with green letters. They hold colorful signs cheering for players Andrew, Mas, Henry, and Brody, showing team spirit and excitement.
Some fans! Photo by Michael Newman

At a time when school sports are increasingly overshadowed by travel teams, club programs, and year-round competition, the evening served as a powerful reminder of what makes middle school athletics so special: young athletes representing their school, competing alongside their classmates, and bringing an entire community together.

For Coach Bender and the Emerson Tigers, the numbers tell an incredible story: 13 wins, zero losses, two consecutive league championships, and two straight undefeated seasons.

But the memories made, friendships strengthened, and pride brought to their school and community may be the team’s greatest accomplishments of all.

Congratulations to the Emerson Tigers — Coastal League Champions. Again. Undefeated. Again.

Graduating eighth graders include: Mason Chastain, Tiana Graham, Henry Hastings, Broderick Jordan, Dillon LaMotte, Delfina Presa-Guzman, Avah Rechholtz, Sam Reddy, Grayson Staggs, Carome Sudlow, Andy West.

LINKS TO LEARN MORE

Additional photos can be found at Biggest Fan Photography https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085340375284

Disclosure: Peter Hastings is the father of one of the players.

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