A Rare Coach. An Unbeaten Team. One More Shot at History.

FREEPORT, Maine — November 2, 2026. On Tuesday afternoon, No. 1 Pine Tree Academy meets No. 2 Telstar at Gardiner Area High School for the 8-player South regional boys soccer championship — a state semifinal with a berth in Saturday’s state final at stake. Kickoff is 4 p.m. It is a compelling rematch: the same opponents, on the same field, just 1 year after Telstar ended PTA’s season with a 1–0 double-overtime victory.

This time, the Breakers arrive unbeaten at 14–0. Yet what makes this team’s story especially unusual goes beyond its record. On the sideline is Jess Remmes Davis, among the few women coaching boys varsity soccer in Maine — and a coach with an extraordinary playing résumé.

An Uncommon Path to the Boys’ Varsity Sideline

Female head coaches remain uncommon in boys high school soccer. In a September 2024 report, the Bangor Daily News found 10 women leading Maine varsity boys soccer teams — about 8% of programs. That was a notable increase from just 2 in 2016. It is a 2024 snapshot, not a confirmed count for 2026. National Aspen Institute youth-coaching research also documents how much less often women coach boys than men coach girls, though its youth-sports figures are not specific to high school soccer.

Remmes Davis is in her 3rd season directing PTA’s boys varsity program. Her background includes All-American honors, induction into the New York Soccer Hall of Fame, an NCAA Division I Sweet 16 appearance at James Madison University, and professional soccer in France with Montpellier and Guingamp. The credentials are striking. What she has done with this group of players may be even more impressive.

According to PTA’s coaching staff, none of the boys plays club soccer. This roster has been developed through the school program, with players learning the game and growing together under Remmes Davis rather than arriving as an assembled group of established travel-team stars. The result is a team defined by connection, technical progress, tactical discipline and contributions across the roster.

Numbers That Are Hard to Ignore

Pine Tree Academy has scored 85 goals and conceded just 2 in 14 official matches. It has recorded 10 consecutive shutouts, allowing no goal since September 11. The Breakers finished the regular season 12–0 and then shut out Rangeley 5–0 and Temple Academy 8–0 in their 1st 2 playoff games. In late October, MaxPreps ranked PTA No. 4 in Maine across all classifications, a remarkable placement for a small 8-player program.

The goals have come from all over the field. 12 different Breakers have scored in official competition. Fitzroy Hakizimana leads with 19, followed by Lucky Kabeya and Collin Verrill at 16 apiece. Senior captain and central defender Rhett Tyson scored his 1st high school hat trick in Friday’s semifinal against Temple. Hakizimana contributed 4 goals and 2 assists across the 2 playoff games.

Defensively, Tyson, Rio Soram and Ben Christman, with goalkeeper Abner Poland, have helped build the shutout streak. The numbers are impressive, but the deeper story is the team-wide responsibility behind them: defending together, moving the ball together, and trusting the same process regardless of the score.

Same Teams. Same Field. 1 Year Later.

Last November, Telstar beat PTA 1–0 in double overtime in this very regional final. This season Pine Tree reversed that result, beating Telstar 1–0 on October 15 on Lucky Kabeya’s goal. Both games showed how little separates these opponents when they meet. The winner Tuesday advances to the November 7 state championship game.

There is nothing routine about this moment: a small school, a female head coach in a traditionally male-dominated role, a roster developed without club soccer, an unbeaten season, and a chance to return to the state final stage. Tuesday’s result is still to be decided. The journey to get here is already extraordinary.

Be There — or Watch Live

Tuesday, November 3 • 4:00 p.m. • Gardiner Area High School. No. 1 Pine Tree Academy vs. No. 2 Telstar, MPA 8-player South regional final / state semifinal. Bring the Breakers green, fill the stands and cheer for a team that has earned this moment. If you cannot attend, watch the official NFHS Network live stream or on-demand replay using the link below. NFHS access requirements may apply.