Fueled By Broadneck Win, Falcons Surge To Unbeaten Start

Severna Park’s boys soccer team got an early chance to exorcise one of their 2025 demons.

The way they did it showed they might be ready to extinguish the other when the time comes in November.

Behind a stingy defense and clinical finishing, the Falcons are sitting at 7-0 as they head into October, setting themselves up as potential state championship contenders for a second successive season.

Their first opportunity to make a statement of intent came September 15 against Broadneck, where they avenged a county championship loss a year ago with a 4-1 drubbing of their near rivals.

After a cagey first 20 minutes, the Falcons stepped on the gas as they repelled Broadneck’s attack and repeatedly caught them in transition.

“We know how they want to play. They’re Broadneck, and they like to go long,” said Severna Park midfielder Gavin Cliffe, who assisted the first goal and scored the third on a 30-yard free kick into the top-right corner. “We talked to the guys from last year, where they got us on a penalty kick and a lucky deflected goal. We didn’t think we should have lost that game, so we let the guys know that we had them today.”

Caden Morris, Ethan Ribeiro and Nathan Oehling also netted in the win for Severna Park, who have gotten goals from all corners of the roster. In seven wins, they’ve scored 30 goals and conceded just four. Ribeiro leads the team with five goals, while Morris, Cliffe and Adrian Mesa all have four, and 11 different players have found the back of the net. A baker’s dozen have assisted, with 18 players finding their names in goal involvements.

The Falcons started the season with a 2-0 win over Oakdale and a 3-1 victory over Linganore in a two-day tournament. Then they beat Crossland 10-0 and Dundalk 3-0, sandwiching the Broadneck victory. Their most recent results in the run were another pair of 4-1 wins over Severn Run and South River.

Though the Falcons have scored for fun, they rely on sound defense and capable goalkeeping. Though he hasn’t been put to a stiff test other than making five saves against Broadneck, senior Henry Bauer is making the most of his chance between the sticks.

“I love the big games, and especially this game. I know I have the ability to prove myself against the big teams,” Bauer said. “It felt great to get the start and do well out there.”

There’s the back half of a county schedule, and what they hope is a county championship ahead of a seemingly fated rematch with Stephen Decatur for the region’s lone berth in the state quarterfinals.

The Falcons battled Decatur to a scoreless deadlock last season before losing on penalty kicks, then watched as the Seahawks rolled to the 3A title.

This year, Severna Park hopes it’s finally their turn again.

“It’s just the first game of the county and we’re looking for more,” Cliffe said. “But it’s been 14 years (since a state championship), so hopefully we can bring it back.”