"It feels like a dream." Lewiston wins Class A state title in overtime weeks after tragedy

Tegra Mbele scored with a minute left in the first overtime period to give the Blue Devils the 3-2 win and its fourth state championship since 2015.

“It feels like a dream,” Lewiston boys soccer coach Dan Gish said. “Feels like a dream.” 

Gish had just watched Tegra Mbele score the game-winning goal against Deering to clinch the Class A state championship 3-2 just moments before. The words were slow to come from Gish, with a pause in between quotes. 

The emotions were at peak for everyone on the team, in the stands, and in the community. 

After the game Mbele stood with his teammate, Aristaraque Meli, in the middle of his teammates and coaches who were celebrating the win. With Meli translating, Mbele described what he felt when he received a pass down the right side into the penalty box from Mohamed Gabow with just a couple minutes remaining on the first overtime clock and one-touched a chip shot over the goaltender and into the back-left corner of the net before being swarmed by what felt like half of his city. 

“I’m very happy to score two goals,” Mbele said. “I love the joy, especially scoring in a final like this and I just want to make everyone proud. It was really the joy that we brought to the fans which made them go crazy. We wanted to give back to the city with all that it’s gone through, and so it was a great joy and it was great to make it happen.”

Just-over two weeks prior, 18 people died in a mass shooting in Lewiston while 13 were injured, America’s worst of 2023. The Lewiston Blue Devils’ run to the Class A state championship meant even more to a community that is already soccer-obsessed. 

Overtime was a ‘golden goal’ situation. Next goal won. When Mbele netted his second goal of the game, his first being the game’s opening goal, the entire team ran to the Lewiston fan section just a few yards away. 

“When I scored the winning goal I knew that was it,” Mbele said. “It brought relief to me and it was an out-of-body experience and that was it. We won.”

Gish called the moment “Euphoric.” Even with a documentary film crew following the team during the game, Hollywood couldn’t have scripted a better finish for a team and community desperately in need of it. 

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Mbele scored 11 minutes into the game from the same right side of the same penalty box to put Lewiston ahead 1-0. 

Ethan Fisher answered with a penalty kick goal for Deering just seven minutes later to tie it at 1-1. 

With 2:12 left in the first half, Gabow scored to give Lewiston a 2-1 lead. Gabow ran straight to the Lewiston crowd to celebrate the momentous goal that gave the Blue Devils all the momentum into the half. 

“Mohamed’s goal in regulation, he absolutely tattoo’d it,” Gish said. “He’s our best shooter, no question. He has a nose for the goal. Then Tegra puts that one in and he has good control. We worked on his fishing all year and, boy, did he finish.”

Deering’s Chandrel Mangel-Laza scored in the second half with 24 minutes left in the game then celebrated with a backflip that led to a yellow card. 

“When you score the game-winner, don’t back flip,” a Deering assistant coach said to Mangel-Laza on the bench. 

Lewiston goalkeeper Payson Goyette made save after save to send the match to overtime. The Blue Devils needed the break. 

“We could have played a little bit more - we were forcing - and I think nerves had a lot to do with it,” Gish said. “We were afraid to make a mistake and towards the end of overtime we started to string some things together on the offensive end. We knew we had to play wide, drop balls in behind because we knew they struggled with that and we finally got one wide. We knew that’s what we had to do to win all game and we finally did it.”

Lewiston began to string passes together in the attacking end, something it struggled with in the second half. With less-than two minutes left, Gabow deked a couple of defenders in the midfield and led Mbele down the right side for the goal. 

“Tegra is amazing,” Gish said. “What a special guy. Tegra is just a good, good kid. I am so happy for him to finish like that.”

Lewiston celebrated on the track and the playing field for a few minutes before administration was able to corral everyone to behind the bench. The celebration continued once the team was presented the championship trophy, leading to euphoria for the community desperately in need of the moment. 

“Fairytales do happen,” Lewiston athletic director Jason Fuller posted on X after the game. 

“Their support, from all around, as far as Duke and North Carolina, Duke soccer, the community has been absolutely fantastic and hopefully we brought a little joy,” Gish added. “I am proud of them.”