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JAMESTOWN — The 2024 Jamestown High School boys soccer team is the best the JHS soccer program has ever seen.
Let me tell you why.
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Jamestown had five athletes, Grant Lunde, Brady Harty, Gabe Jenison, Ian Lere and Iddi Ramadhani, named to the 2024 All-WDA team. It was the most athletes any team had named to the All-Conference team.
“I am so proud of these boys,” JHS head coach Brandi Harty said. “They have worked so hard this season and being recognized for their effort is great to see.”
Since 1995, the Blue Jays have been to the state tournament six total times. The Jays have never played in a state championship game. Last year’s fourth-place finish was the highest finish the team has ever had.
This year, they have been — quite literally — unbeatable.
Over the 17 games played, the Blue Jays have outscored their opponents 83-12. The Jays have only allowed goals in eight of their games and only allowed more than one goal on three occasions the most recent being the squad’s state quarterfinal against West Fargo Sheyenne. The Jays defeated the Mustangs 4-3.
In the 16 conference games, Lunde faced 78 shots and made 71 saves. His 91% save percentage led the WDA.
Every team member on the Blue Jay roster has at least one point due to an assist or a goal.
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The Jamestown school record for goals, assists and points in a season was previously held by Colton Albohm. Albohm scored 19 goals and 11 assists in the fall of 1999.
That record has been broken.
Twice.
Ramadhani is leading the West Region in total scoring with a staggering 24 goals and 17 assists for 41 points.
Harty is the No. 2 scorer in the WDA with 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points. Lere and Carter Genter have also broken into double-digits with 17 and 10 points, respectively.
Dating back to 2007, no team in the state has finished the conference season truly undefeated.
Fargo Shanley has come close, finishing the season with a 13-0-1 EDC and 19-1-2 record overall. The Deacons also went 11-0-1 and 16-2-1 in 2012. The Deacons won the 2023 state title, finishing the year with a 16-1-2 overall record.
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Fargo South has had a few successful seasons, going without a loss, but the Bruins have always had at least one tie in the books.
In 2021 Fargo Davies went 12-0-2 and finished the year at 16-0-2. The Eagles had another storybook season in 2022, finishing out their conference schedule at 13-0-1 and 16-1-1 overall.
Now, before you come for me with all of your reasons why there have been better Jamestown High School soccer teams, let me say, I was not around to watch teams before 2019 play, so — you could be right — there might have been a better team that came through the Jamestown High School soccer program.
But let me tell you what I know, what I have observed since I started watching these players six years ago.
These boys love the game of soccer.
They love it so much that they took the opportunity to play junior varsity against juniors and seniors as seventh graders.
They love it so much they endured three consecutive seasons that ended well below the .500 mark.
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They love it so much they continued to play in 2021 and 2022 when the injury bug bit them hard and many of their starters were forced to sit out.
They love it so much that they have committed to playing soccer year-round and continue to practice the sport on their own time.
They love it so much that many of the team members have plans to pursue the sport at the collegiate level.
One of the first events I ever covered was a Jamestown High School soccer game. It was in 2019 when the current seniors were seventh graders. In those six seasons, there have been few who left the sport to pursue other activities. If anything, there have been additions to the program which has only made it stronger.
The unwavering commitment to the sport is what truly makes this team, in my opinion, the best Jamestown High School has produced and the only appropriate way to end it would be with a state championship.
Bismarck High is leading the state in total state championship game appearances with 10. Fargo South has the most state championship trophies with six. Bismarck Century, Bismarck High and West Fargo have all accrued five state titles.
This year, it should be Jamestown’s turn so I think I speak for the whole of the Buffalo City when I say:
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“Bring it home Jays.”
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