ALTAMONT — Carolyn Barber, Greg Swift, and Chris Bates might live on the outer fringes of the Schalmont School District. but they are the center of the Sabres’ soccer teams.

The three Altamont residents were each an integral part of the Schalmont soccer teams that made the New York State semifinals.
"We’re outcasts because we live the furthest away," joked Swift in an interview on Monday.
"We fit in with everyone," Barber added. "We just love living out in the country."
"We still play in Rotterdam," Bates said. "I think we all have fit in over time."

Barber was one of the captains of the girls’ soccer team that reached the state semifinals at the State University of New York College at Cortland on Nov. 17 and Bates was one of the captains of the boys’ soccer team that also advanced to the state semifinals, held on Nov. 18 at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta.

Swift was also a major contributor in his senior year for the boys’ team.

Bates is a four-year member of the varsity team, Barber was moved up to the varsity during her sophomore year, and Swift was a three-year member of the varsity boys’ team.

"Amazing and great"

Swift and Bates had a tough road to the state semifinals; they had to get past rival Voorheesville in the Class B Section II semifinals. The game was decided by penalty kicks and the Sabres were able to continue their season and faced Tamarac in the sectional final.
"It was a really good game," Swift said of the Voorheesville match-up. "We had a good time playing them. They finished third in the league. We know some of the guys on the team."
"After the game, we are all friends," Bates said. "We play together on club teams."

Bates and Swift played against another team they had seen earlier in the season.
"We played Tamarac and we played them before and beat them, 5-0," Swift said. "But we knew it would be a lot harder in the second game."

Schalmont took a 2-0 lead and gave up a late goal to Tamarac for a 2-1 championship win.
"It was amazing and great," Bates said. "Just because it had been so long for the school."

It was the first sectional title for the Schalmont boys’ soccer team in 22 years.

The win for the boys came the day after the girls’ team also defeated Tamarac to win the Class B Section II title.
"I think we all didn’t want the other team to do better," Swift said.

The boys’ team then beat Clinton of Section III in Chittenango, near Syracuse. The Sabres next beat Plattsburgh in the regional final in Colonie to advance to the state semifinals.
"It was exciting," Swift said. "It was the first team to go to states since the 1984 team."

Schalmont then faced Albertus-Magnus of Section I (Rockland and Westchester counties) in the semifinal held in Oneonta.

The loss was disappointing for Swift and Bates.
"We knew we could’ve won that game," Bates said.
"But, looking back, it was a good season," Swift added.

"Pumped up"

After Barber helped the girls’ team beat Tamarac for the Section II title, she and her Schalmont teammates embarked on a tour of New York.

The Lady Sabres traveled to Chittenango and beat Westhill of Section III in a regional semifinal.

The Schalmont players then traveled to Potsdam to take on Salmon River for the regional championship. The Sabres came away with a 4-0 win to earn some more time together on the bus.
"It was five hours to Potsdam and three hours to Cortland," Barber said. "But the bus experience was great. We were together and we got pumped up for the games. They were long but we made the best of it."

The Lady Sabres dropped their semifinal game to Livonia from Section V (Rochester area).
"I can’t say I’m disappointed," Barber said. "It was the furthest the girls’ program has made it in history. Before, the program hadn’t made it past the first regional."

Full of support

Bates, Swift, and Barber all live near each other and have been friends for years.
"Road-wise we live like a mile apart," Swift said. "But it’s like a quarter of a mile if you go through the woods."
"We support each other a lot," Bates said. "We go to each other’s games."
"We usually found time to go to each other’s games," Barber elaborated. "And at the end, when things conflicted, we were calling each other to find out how we did."

The three played in youth leagues in Rotterdam and play on separate club teams during the off-season.

During the sectionals, the boys’ team loaded up a bus, led by Coach Chris Bailey, and went to the girls’ championship game.
"We had a 1:30 game and Coach Bailey took the boys’ team to support us," Barber said. "It has been a little bit crazy, but we support each other. I still can’t believe you guys got a bus."

The Lady Sabres also showed their support for their male counterparts on their road to the sectional title.
"We were cheering at every game," Barber said. "At the Voorheesville game, during the penalty kicks, we were praying on the sideline.
"It was exciting they won on penalty kicks," Barber added. "With the boys coming up big and reaching the finals, it gave us a lot of drive going into our game. We fed off each other a lot. We were cheering and supporting each other."

The soccer teams were the highlight of a successful fall sports season for the Schalmont school district.
"Our school did well in all sports," Barber said. "We had a cross-country runner at states and our volleyball and soccer teams did well. And they got behind us."

Barber and Bates are looking to play soccer in college, but Swift isn’t sure that he will play at the schools he is interested in attending.

But when they leave Schalmont High School in June, all three will look back on the fall soccer season as one that was very special.
"Our team still gets together each week," Barber said of the girls’ soccer team. "We still miss each other."