Archie Williams' Unbelievable Comeback: How He Shocked Everyone in the Final Moments!

The third time proved to be the charm for the Archie Williams High boys' soccer team as they achieved a 3-1 comeback victory against Tam in the semifinals of the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) playoffs on Wednesday. This win not only marked a significant turnaround after losing their first two encounters with Tam this season but also secured the Peregrine Falcons a spot in their third consecutive MCAL title game, where they continue their quest for their first championship win.

“Everyone keeps telling us we’re due for one,” said Archie Williams coach Rene Ayala. “On Saturday, nothing is given to us. What we did today, we just earned an opportunity to finally play for another championship, and MCALs has been so elusive. We’re confident that we’re going to put our best foot forward. We’ve got respect for whoever it is. Whether it's San Rafael or Terra Linda, we know that it’s going to be a challenge.”

The Peregrine Falcons (12-5-3), who are seeded fourth this year, will face either No. 2 San Rafael or No. 3 Terra Linda in the title match. The boys' final is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at San Rafael High, followed by the girls' final. Archie Williams previously reached the MCAL finals as a No. 2 seed and a No. 1 seed, but fell to Redwood in both instances.

In the semifinal match, Tam came out strong, taking advantage of the wind in the first half. They hit the post once and had two additional scoring opportunities ruled offside. However, it was the Red-tailed Hawks who broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when sophomore Marco Caruso sprinted behind the defense and struck a shot off the far post to put his team ahead 1-0.

Until that point, Archie Williams struggled to create much offense with the wind at their backs. However, with just 15 minutes left in the match, the Peregrine Falcons began to rally. They scored twice in a span of four minutes and completed the comeback with a total of three goals in 11 minutes.

Henry Miller ignited the comeback with a goal in the 65th minute. Just three minutes later, Archie Williams capitalized on a turnover around midfield. Reigning MCAL Player of the Year Sean Chamberlin set up Devin Singh, who unleashed a powerful shot that hit the far post before finding the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

“All credit to Chamberlin,” Singh said. “He’s a great player. He drags so much attention that by the time I get the ball, there’s nobody on me. I saw the goal. I looked up. It’s 1-1, it’s the MCAL semifinals. You’ve got nothing to lose so I just ripped it.”

In the 76th minute, Charlie Hinkleman added another goal, also benefiting from a fortunate bounce off the post to give Archie Williams a 3-1 lead. "That was the most euphoric moment of my life, I think," Hinkleman remarked. "It honestly felt surreal running to the sideline celebrating with all the boys. It was magical.”

This victory sends Archie Williams into their seventh consecutive final across all competitions, a streak that dates back to the 2024 MCAL title game. Despite a tough year where they went 0-3 in finals, the Peregrine Falcons found success last season, finishing with a North Coast Section and NorCal championship.

“It’s such an amazing opportunity,” Chamberlain stated regarding the upcoming final. “I’ve got to give a shout out to our defense. Our defense was locked down today. We always work with each other and pass out of the press and work up forward. Our defense has helped us all three years. We’ve had that dog mentality where we just work harder than everyone.”

This hard-nosed mentality was evident in the first half as Archie Williams managed to hold off Tam, who came out aggressively from the opening minute. “The first 20 minutes could have easily gotten out of hand,” Ayala noted. “We could have easily been down four just the way they were peppering us. I don’t know how many corners they got in the first 10 minutes… They just set the tone right away so for us to come out of the half 0-0 felt like a huge win.”

Tam nearly found the breakthrough in the 18th minute during a corner kick when a shot from Kenneth Frost from 40 yards out nestled into the net, but the referee ruled interference on Archie Williams goalie Aidan Dunn. Just a minute later, Caruso struck the far post again, a narrow miss that underscored the pressure Tam was applying.

“They were knocking at the door,” said Archie Williams center back Isaac Terry. “They had the one goal where Aidan was fouled on and they had the one offside call on the goal, but we just kept our composure. Earlier in the season, we might have gotten a little more negative and started sulking and given up, but I think it just came down to effort. … This could have been our last MCAL game so why not leave everything on the pitch?”

As the Peregrine Falcons look ahead to their title match, they carry the weight of past defeats but also the hope that this might finally be their year to claim the championship title they have long sought.