By PAUL GOTHAM
Ryan Mathis put the daily reminders on a white board in his bedroom.
A series of team goals dominated that list.
There was also one individual accomplishment.
Mathis and Fairport boys’ soccer checked all the boxes during the 2024 season.
The final achievement, the personal goal, came last week when Mathis received an email notifying him of his All-American selection.
The senior forward joined Myles Palmer (2022), Peter Critchlow (2016), Hunter Critchlow (2015), Guido Cristofori (1998) and Mark Fish (1986) – the former members of Fairport boys’ soccer who had previously earned the distinction.
“It’s an honor,” Mathis said. “They were all amazing players and to be considered among them is an honor. I kept saying it, but I never thought it would happen. I’m still in disbelief.”
Mathis posted team-highs for goals (19) and assists (10) in leading unbeaten Fairport (15-0-4) to the 2024 Section V Class AAA title and eventual NYSPHSAA Class AAA championship.
How Fairport’s 2023 season came to an end served as motivation for 2024.
A judgment call went against Fairport on the winning goal in regionals when the Red Raiders lost to Section VI champion, Lancaster. Mathis remembered watching the reaction of teammate AJ Nelson.
“Seeing him cry and go out that way on an offsides goal that he really couldn’t do anything about, it broke me,” Mathis said of Nelson, the senior keeper of the ’23 Fairport squad. “It gave me the extra motivation to go beat them and win it all.”
Mathis circled Lancaster on that dry-erase board in his room.
“Losing on an offsides goal was heartbreaking. The game shouldn’t have ended in my opinion.”
The setback fueled his efforts and those of his teammates.
“Determination is one of the words I would use to describe him,” said Fairport head coach Bill Teasdale. “He’s very competitive. He’s a technical player. He understands tactics, but he’s also always determined. We said it all year, that we’re going to go as far as our senior leadership takes us. Ryan was one of those senior leaders.”
That grit showed in the Section V Class AAA championship when Mathis led a late comeback. Trailing 2-1 with less than four minutes remaining, the senior forward found the back of the net off a free kick from 20 yards out.
It was the type of goal that Teasdale and all associated with Fairport boys’ soccer had come to expect from Mathis.
“To able to put a ball over the wall and have it drop down and go under the crossbar, not many kids can do that,” Teasdale said. “To be able to do that is special. Most kids are either going to hit the wall or hit it high or wide. He put it exactly where it needed to go.”
76’ AAA Ryan Mathis connects from 20 yards out to level the match. @AthleticsMcQ 2 @FCSDSports 2 pic.twitter.com/NtRzFuAPDJ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) November 5, 2024
For an encore, the SUNY Brockport commit added two goals and two assists in a 5-3 win over Lancaster in the state quarterfinal. He connected on another direct kick for one his two scores. This time, instead of going up and over, he drove the ball low and around the wall of opposing players.
“Same situation basically the same spot,” Teasdale said. “He put it low around the wall inside the right post. He has some unique abilities that a lot of kids just don’t have.”
Mathis credited his work in the offseason with former Red Raider Jude Rouhana.
“I practiced free kicks with him during the summer,” Mathis said of Rouhana who recently completed his fourth season with Hamilton College. “He helped me with the technique of curling it and dipping the ball up and over the wall.”
Mathis will take his place among the former Fairport All-Americans, but what will set him apart is leading the Red Raiders’ to its first state title in boys’ soccer program history. On four past occasions, Fairport advanced to the state finals. Each time the Red Raiders came away empty-handed.
But not this time.
And Mathis will have that when it comes to exchanging friendly barbs with his former teammate, Palmer.
“I got something to hold over Myles now,” Mathis said laughing. “Whenever he’s talking trash to me, I got something for him. Him and AJ (Nelson) used to get in my head at every practice. They just knew what made me mad. I got something to hold over him now. It’s a great feeling.”
Fellow Red Raider, Zach Buys joined Mathis on the 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-East Region team along with Sam Burton (Webster Schroeder), Will Hawken (Brockport), Cash Rosado (Brockport) and Mason Simmons (Churchville-Chili).
Mathis joins Ali Shabani (Aquinas ’23) along with Palmer (’22), Cody Cavuoto (Hilton, ’21), Dylan Rice (Greece Athena, ’20/’19) and Sam O’Connor (Brighton, ’18) as the recent Section V standouts to earn All-American honors.
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