While most students were getting ready for the Homecoming dance on Saturday, Oct. 27, boys soccer was preparing for the county final. At Torpey Park in Somerville, the Raiders faced off against Pingry at 3:00 p.m. It was the second time in which the two teams played each other, the first time being when the Raiders beat them 2-1 with goals scored by Alfredo Gonzalez and Justin Dominique.

This particular game occurred on Oct.9, and both teams performed phenomenally in the games since then. The Raiders were able to maintain an undefeated record of 15-0-2, while Pingry’s record stood at 13-3-1. Their impressive performances rewarded Hillsborough the No. 2 seed in the Somerset County tournament while Pingry was given the No. 1 seed.

After beating Bernards 3-2 in the semifinals, the Raiders were able to move on to face Pingry again in the County tournament final. Despite the game being on the same day as homecoming, the boys did not let that distract them from their play; they arrived to the field ready to bring home a victory to Hillsborough.

Throughout the game, both teams played heavy defense, Pingry focusing on subduing Dominique. Boro created three goal opportunities  within the first 15 minutes of the game and dominated the game in the first 20 minutes of the second half.

Senior Nick Bogado scored the winning goal in the final three minutes of the game with an assist from Dominique. “It was a great feeling to help my team win especially against a team like Pingry,” Bogado said. “The win meant a lot to the whole team as well as the coaches.”

Despite winning counties in the past, the Raiders were always crowned co-champions. This time, the Raiders came out on top with their first outright title win. This win contributes to the Raiders history-making record as they have won more games this season than they have in the last four years combined; boys soccer struggled for a couple of years, but they have now bounced back mightily to add the conference championship to their regular season Skyland Conference title.

Come support boys soccer today at 4:00 p.m. on the turf against Middletown South as they attempt to continue their historic season in the state tournament.