It was a tough day for the Highland soccer teams as they both finished second in the James Ranieri Tournament at James I. O’Neill High School on Saturday.

The girls’ team lost, 7-1, in the championship game, and the boys’ fell, 6-1.

Jael-Marie Guy scored the Raiders’ first four goals in a five-goal first half. She also was named tournament Most valuable player.

Guy’s fourth goal wasn’t intended as a goal, as she sent what was planned to be a crossing pass, but the ball bounced off the right goal post, and into the net, giving the Raiders a 4-0 lead with 16:24 left in the first half.

The next goal was placed, much more perfectly as the Raiders’ Kaelyn Mitroka sent a crossing pass in from the left, and Rose Bentley redirected the shot into the goal, giving the Raiders a 5-0 lead.

After the Raiders’ Saedi Post widened the gap to 6-0, the Huskies did something no one has done since Sept. 7. Sophie Valentino scored a goal to cut the lead to 6-1. It was the first goal the Raiders had given up since their 3-0 loss to Sauquoit Valley.

Since then, O’Neill goalkeeper C.J. Conkey posted four straight clean sheets.

Valentino was the Huskies’ representative on the all-tournament team.

Emery Deekens scored the Raiders’ seventh goal with 15:15 remaining in the game.

It was their second year hosting the Jimmy Ranieri Memorial Tournament. He graduated from O’Neill in 1992 and died on March 13, 2021, from pancreatic cancer.

The Huskies opened the tournament with a 309 win over Chester with goals by Sophie Valentino, Ava Acampora and Kaylee Arciuolo. Raquel Marreiros had an assist.

Danica Acampora made four saves.

Boys
The boys’ team gave up four goals in the first half on their way to a championship game loss.

The Raiders struggled to find the back of the net early in the game, but in the 21st minute, senior captain Johnny Nauta’s goal put them on the board for the first time.

Nauta was named to the all-tournament team.

Less than a minute later, senior captain Ben Yankovich added another, giving the Raiders a 2-0 lead.

Kenny scored his first goal of the game in the 32nd minute. He also added the Raiders’ sixth goal late in the second half.

Senior captain Jacques Farlow added a goal in the 45th minute to send the Raiders into halftime leading, 4-0.

Five minutes into the second half, Erick Guzhnay gave the Raiders a 5-0 lead.

In the 50th minute, Highland’s Skyler Lopez scored the Huskies’ lone goal. He was named to the all-tournament team.

The Huskies opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over the Chester Academy Hambletonians on Thursday night.