Legendary SC high school soccer coach Phil Savitz’s last game is a semis heartbreaker

Phil Savitz didn’t get the storybook ending to his career he hoped, but there was no disappointment in his voice Friday night.

Stratford defeated Savitz’s River Bluff squad 5-4 in penalty kicks in the Class 5A Lower State boys soccer semifinal at The Swamp.

With the win, the Knights advance to Monday’s Lower State championship match against Ashley Ridge, which defeated Wando in penalty kicks.

The loss ended Savitz’s 45-year coaching career that saw him become the winningest boys soccer coach in SC history. He won a state-record 824 matches and 15 state championships with stops at Irmo and River Bluff. The 824 wins rank fifth all-time nationally, according to the National Federation of State High Schools record book.

Savitz’s career record finished at 824-118-7.

“I hate that it was in penalty kicks, but I could not be prouder of these guys,” Savitz said. “I am disappointed for them but not in them. I really believe we could have won the state championship if a penalty kick went in, but it is just not meant to be.”

Savitz announced in October that he was going to be retiring and it was announced later that Thad Miller, his longtime assistant at Irmo and River Bluff, would be replacing him. So Savitz had been preparing for this moment.. He just hoped it would happen, hoisting a state championship trophy.

“I would have loved to have been on the state championship stage with these guys,” Savitz said. “I am disappointed for them just like any other team. It is my last game in high school but to go out with a group like that, I will take it whenever we go out.”

Things were aligned for a storybook ending to his career.. The Gators defeated Chapin, 2-0, in their final regular-season match to win the Region 4-5A championship and secure homefield advantage to the championship.

River Bluff survived a tough match Wednesday when it rallied and defeated West Ashley in penalty kicks to move on in the playoffs.

It looked like River Bluff was going to pull out another thriller on Friday. The Gators had a few missed opportunities in the four overtime periods before going to penalty kicks tied 0-0. River Bluff went up 3-2 in penalty kicks on Alejandro Romero’s shot and needed one stop to clinch the matchup.

But Stratford’s Nathan Arroyo tied it 3-3. After each teams scored on their next shot, Stratford goalkeeper Enzo Mori came up with a big stop then Daniel Martinez hit the game-winner for the Knights.

After the match, Savitz went around to his players, consoling those that were crying and gathered his team at midfield for his post-game speech which lasted about five minutes. After that, he was joined by his wife, children and grandchildren and family members.

“We will go back and commiserate, hug, love and celebrate an amazing fortuitous career,” Savitz said. “And a team that couldn’t give us any more love, fight and excitement than this team did.”

Friday’s Area Playoff Schedule

Baseball

Class 5A

Blythewood 13, Hillcrest 4

Class 4A

Greer 4, Airport 2

May River 3, AC Flora 1

Wade Hampton 7 Lugoff-Elgin 1

SCISA 4A

Laurence Manning 4, Ben Lippen 2

Cardinal Newman 6, Wilson Hall 5

Trinity Collegiate 11, Hammond 4

Softball

Class 5A

Lexington 10, Woodmont 9

Dutch Fork 11, Mauldin 1

Byrnes 9, Blythewood 0

Chapin 4, Fort Dorchester 2

Carolina Forest 8, White Knoll 3

Class 3A

Swansea 10, Beaufort 3

Gilbert 6, Hanahan 1

Loris 5, Camden 2

Battery Creek 11, Brookland-Cayce 1

Dreher 17. Philip Simmons 6

Class 2A

Abbeville 29, Fairfield Central 17

Saluda 8, Blacksburg 3

Batesburg-Leesville 17, Columbia 1

Mid-Carolina 11, Keenan 0

Gray Collegiate 15, Ninety-Six 0

Pelion 11, Liberty 2

North Central 4, Barnwell 2

Soccer

Class 5A Boys

Stratford 0, River Bluff 0 (Stratford wins 5-4 in PKs)

Class 3A Boys

Hanahan 4, Camden 0

Class 2A Boys

Gray Collegiate 4, Greer Middle College 0

Greenville Tech 4, Batesburg-Leesville 2

Lacrosse

SCISA Boys Championship

Hammond 16, Porter-Gaud 3

SCISA Girls Championship

Porter-Gaud 9, Heathwood Hall 6