The Faith boys soccer team’s inaugural season came to an end Friday as the Warrior Bears went toe-to-toe with Arnold Magnet Academy in the first round of the Muscogee School District playoffs. However, the Warrior Bears gave up a last-minute goal that gave Arnold a 6-5 win.

The game had several lead changes, but Faith coach Ed Ramos said the 5-5 tie was broken as Faith committed too many players to defend Arnold’s Alexander Harris, a military child who recently made the U.S. U-14 national team. Harris passed to a trailing teammate, who got a wide-open look at the goal. Despite the loss, Ramos said he was proud of his team’s resiliency.

“The boys were getting tired on both teams,” Ramos said. “Frustration was setting in. They were hurt, disappointed. But they still kept their heads up.”

Much like the girls soccer team, which also lost in the first round of the playoffs, the boys started their season with a loss to Blackmon Road, which defeated Faith 4-0. Ramos said he knew the problem came from a lack of chemistry.

“They didn’t know each other and didn’t communicate at all,” he said. “As the season went, we started playing more as a team.”

After losing to Midland in the next game, Faith strung together four straight wins over Fort, Rothschild, East Columbus and Marshall/Baker, finishing 4-2.

“The kids taught me a lot with patience,” Ramos said. “There are still kids around who give 110 percent every time they do anything. This has to be one of the most fun teams I’ve ever coached. I had a good time with them.”

Ramos will not have the opportunity to return as head coach next season due to his upcoming transfer to Fort Drum, N.Y., in October. He said he and his team accomplished what they had set out to do.

“To go that far was a pretty big deal for them,” he said. “They made all the other schools in Muscogee County know that Faith is a force to be reckoned with.”