Jaite sends Harrison to first state final since ‘14 with walkoff PK

The scenario was familiar — perhaps all too familiar — and the thought was understandably pervasive.

There was one of the state’s preeminent and most historic soccer programs — Harrison — on the precipice of its first state finals berth in 10 years and only one thing stood in its way: penalty kicks.

Just what Harrison, the Blue Tide’s longtime coach Mike Rusek Jr. and their star defensive center midfielder Yusufu Jaite didn’t want.

Since 2014, the last time Harrison made and won a state final, the Blue Tide have had their postseason come to an end via shootout three times, all at home and most recently in the 2022 North, Group 2 semifinal, where Jaite was the final shooter.

So, after 100 minutes of 1-1 soccer in the North, Group 2 semifinal against North 1, Group 2 champs Glen Rock, the game went to penalty kicks and Jaite was again the last shooter and immediately the longtime Harrison coach and star midfielder had unpleasant flashbacks.

“We’ve had some tough breaks on this field in PK’s and to be honest with you, I had a bad feeling about this one too,” Rusek Jr. said. “We were trying to get the game done in regulation and we felt like we were a team on our toes and were moving the ball nicely but we couldn’t crack that back line and Glen Rock was a tough, determined team. We knew it was going to take a big goal to beat them.”

As it turns out, that big goal came, not in regulation as Rusek had hoped. But still, after 10 years of waiting, it came all the same thanks to the foot of his star midfielder.

“We were doing PK’s in practice yesterday and I said to coach I’m going to end this game,” Jaite said. “We don’t expect to go to PK’s but it’s what we practiced yesterday and I put it in the same spot I put it yesterday.”

It wasn’t a given that Jaite would be the fifth and final shooter for Harrison. In fact, after missing a penalty in the shootout against Ramsey in the state semifinal two years ago, Jaite had sworn off penalties.

“That moment, that was my first time missing a PK in high school and I used to take them all the time,” he said. “After I missed, I stopped taking PK’s.”

But Rusek Jr. and the rest of Jaite’s coaches never stopped believing in him.

“I think he was a little nervous about taking it again today but we said to him that all year long we’ve won with you and lost with you,” Rusek said. “You’re our guy, no matter what. You’re taking this shot. Whatever happens, it doesn’t matter.”

Prior to his PK, Jaite was all over the pitch and tasked with containing Glen Rock’s talented forward and midfield that included players like Harrison Wortley, Drew Carlin and others who had a significant height advantage.

“They’re a great team and their forwards were killing our defense, we just needed to keep our heads up and keep pushing,” Jaite said. “If you play against a tall guy or a strong guy, it’s about either playing the ball or playing smarter. I just play how soccer’s supposed to be played.”

Harrison was able to possess well for much of the first half and used a high press that also enabled them to use their wide field to their advantage, ultimately leading to a goal by Cristian Carranza after he dribbled past several defenders and hit an off balance shot to put Harrison up 1-0.

Glen Rock then tied the game off a quick restart that led to a pass and a rocket of a shot from distance by Alex Kim, seemingly catching Harrison off guard and allowing the Panthers to pull even.

While Glen Rock didn’t win, they did beat No. 11 ranked and top-seeded Ramsey in the North 1, Group 2 final for their first section crown since 2018 and first under head coach Matt Beverin, who continues the trend of 41 straight years of a Glen Rock alum leading the program.

Last year, Glen Rock was knocked out in the first round, but with largely the same core, Beverin was able to take the program to the next level.

“This is what we want. Now it’s the expectation and we want to build a standard,” Beverin said. “We want to have a new era of Group 2 soccer and we think we should be the ones to do it.”

Harrison is out to do that, too. The Hudson County program has won 15 state titles, the second most of any program in New Jersey state history.

So all of this postseason success is to be expected for the Blue Tide.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. They moved to 19-5-2 this year and took losses Secaucus and Weehawken in back-to-back games that may have surprised people and caught outside observers off guard.

It didn’t worry Rusek, though.

“I think the adversity we had in September and October has made a difference in November,” Rusek, who is 468-71-25 since taking over the program in 2000, said. “My brother calls it a jigsaw puzzle and you’re trying to put the right pieces together and trying to get them all on the same page.”

When you have all that history on your side and the pressure that comes with being a winning program, all that postseason pressure and expectations can be a tall task.

Especially when most of your players haven’t been in a game like this before.

“That’s how tough the state tournament is — every game is a championship game and you have to win six championship games because the other team is fighting for their lives out there," Rusek said. “These last three games have taken a lot out of us but we believe the momentum we have will carry us into one last game.”

And even if it doesn’t and Harrison drops the Group 2 final to South/Central Group 2 semifinal winner Sterling, the Blue Tide won their final game of the season at home, a venue where they didn’t drop a game all year.

And it’s a good thing too, as it enabled Harrison to keep a promise to its town and school administrators who put in a new turf field recently.

“It’s my senior year and I needed to step up,” Jaite said. “We promised our town and said if you guys put new turf, we’ll make sure we won’t lose in town anymore.”

Consider it mission accomplished.

Now all that’s left is one more game and one more promise to keep.

“My dad [former Kearny girls coach Mike Rusek Sr.] says you need a little bit of luck, a little bit of skill and a lot of things put together,” Rusek Jr. said. “I just hope we didn’t use it all up.”