Cougar boys soccer at state final – Park Bugle

Remarkable playoff run ends with second place

By Eric Erickson

The Como High boys soccer team’s unforgettable six-game winning streak through October was snapped on Halloween. The final score of the Class AA State Championship Game at U.S. Bank Stadium was 3-0 in favor of Blake, the state tournament’s top seed.

The Cougars were unseeded as a surprise entrant in the eight-team tournament field. But they quickly became a compelling story, knocking off the No. 3 seed from New Ulm in the quarterfinals and then defeating No. 2 Simley in the semifinals, with senior captain Blessed Htoo scoring the game-winner in an overtime thriller.

However, Blake was a worthy champion, combining to beat their three state tournament opponents by a collective score of 12-1.

For the Cougars, reaching the title game allowed the community to rally around the team and show its support in myriad ways.

The players visited Como Elementary School for a rally with their young fans. A fundraising effort secured five fan buses and game tickets for Como students.

The St. Paul Police Department escorted the team’s bus to the championship game. Social media posts from the mayor, school district and alumni celebrated the team’s success.

“We all felt the support of the community,” said senior captain Henry Simmons. “Not just Como, but we heard from friends and players across St. Paul.”

Como’s student section at the final was loud, proud and thematically dressed in Halloween costumes. Their support never wavered, even after the final whistle. Cheers for every player receiving their second-place medals helped the Cougar boys handle the sting of the loss.

Putting it all into perspective is difficult to do in the immediacy of the season’s ending. But as time goes by, the 2025 Como boys soccer season will be remembered as a thriller.

“I can hardly believe it happened,” co-coach Jonah Fields said. “But at the same time, I’m not the least bit surprised by each individual result.”

The team’s health returned to full strength after junior captain and all-state midfielder Stefan N’da recovered from an injury that sidelined him through much of September.

“We knew we’d be a different team with Stefan back in the lineup,” co-coach Brendan Doyle said. “We felt like we could give anybody a game.”

The Cougars finished with an overall record of 15-6-1. They went 6-1 in October, starting at Allianz Field with a victory over Humboldt in the St. Paul Cup and ending at U.S. Bank Stadium with their only loss of the month in the state final.

In between, they won five playoff games. On paper, they were the underdog in four of them. What the Cougars discovered, along with everyone else in the state, was that they belonged with the best and shone on the biggest stages. 

Eric Erickson is a social studies teacher at Como Park Senior High School and a longtime coach of school and youth sports in St. Paul.

Photo cutline: Como Park Cougars with fans and their state runner-up trophy following the championship match at U.S. Bank Stadium. Photo by Eric Erickson.