Randolph head coach David Pihlblad hugs Cooper Freeman after Freeman broke Pihlblad’s Cardinals’ scoring record. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

In search of an elusive Section VI championship, twice this season Randolph ran into an old nemesis.

The Cardinals haven’t won a sectional title since a Class C crown in 1989 and Coach David Pihlblad has had his team so close for the past several seasons.

The stars seemed to be aligning this year, in superstar Cooper Freeman’s senior year.

But twice, Randolph was beaten by Allegany-Limestone. First, a harmless 3-2 nonleague loss back on Aug. 30.

But on Oct. 28, the stakes were much bigger. In a Section VI Class C semifinal in Allegany, the Gators put the clamps on Freeman and beat the Cardinals 2-0 to advance to the sectional final, where they would lose to Wilson.

Those two losses didn’t take away from the level of success Randolph experienced this year.

Pihlblad’s team finished 15-2-1 overall, including a 9-0-1 mark in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division II play that earned the team a league title.

Freeman was easily the choice for league Player of the Year after scoring 48 goals — second best in Section VI — to go along with 26 assists.

He was joined on the league’s First Team by senior forward Cody Slade (12 goals, 13 assists) and senior defender Parker Patterson (one goal, two assists).

Cardinals on the league’s Second Team included junior forward Gavin Senn (nine goals, 12 assists), junior midfielder Isaac Pihlblad (10 goals, 14 assists), sophomore defender Grady Steward (one goal, five assists) and junior goalkeeper Randy Nottingham (72 saves, eight clean sheets).

Freshman defender Tanner Patterson was also an honorable-mention selection for the Cardinals.

Randolph’s season started off smoothly with a 5-1 win over Bradford before the 3-2 setback to the Gators.

The Cardinals then went on a 15-game unbeaten streak that included a 2-2 tie with Portville during the first run through the league slate. The second time the teams met, with the outright league title on the line, Portville led 1-0 with a 70th minute goal before Randolph battled back. With just 15 seconds remaining in regulation, Freeman scored from Slade to send the game into overtime. In the third minute of the extra session, Freeman scored from Senn to clinch the league crown.

Freeman finished his career third in Section VI in goals and along the way unseated his coach as Randolph’s all-time leading scorer.

For guiding Freeman to a record-breaking season, winning the CCAA Division II league title and coming so close to playing for a sectional crown, Pihlblad is the 2025 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.