The weekend of October 12/13, our 18u took part in the Final Four of the 18u Coupe de France. After defeating Bréal-sous-Monfort in the semi-final (9-3), we suffered a cruel defeat against Rouen (6-8).
After obtaining the best ranking in the club’s history in D1 (5th) and 15u (3rd), it was the turn of the 18u to break a new record by finishing second. The results of this team are both very positive and frustrating, like this 2024 season. Let’s look back at the season of our young talents.
A season without a hitch
In the regional championship, our 18u team was very dominant. We only had one defeat throughout the season, linked in particular to the absence of the managers who played in the first division. In the final field, we won by a large margin in the semi-final (17-0) before defeating Strasbourg in the final (14-0).
Then, we had to finish first in our group in the preliminary phases of the 18u Coupe de France. Unsurprisingly, our youngsters easily took the upper hand against inferior teams. Our weekend in Compiègne ended in two big victories against Fenay (37-0) then Marseille (17-0).
With confidence, our young players continued their great journey with a victory in the semi-final against Bréal-sous-Monfort (9-3). In this match, we didn’t do everything well, but the solidity of the pitching and a big slam in the first round allowed us to reach the final against Rouen. Unfortunately, undoubtedly caught up in the stakes, we missed our final. The defense made a large number of errors, giving the Rouennais many free points. In attack, the strikes were too few. Thus, we conceded defeat in a match which seemed to belong to us (6-8).
A high-level local pool
Even if the final result is not what we wanted, we can congratulate ourselves on having one of the best pools of young players in France. A good number of the players who brought us to the final of the 18u French Cup are part of the D1 group. In training or in matches, these young talents evolve daily with and against the best elements of French baseball. Our great season in the First Division is partly the work of an excellent group of young players under the age of 23. We are convinced that the coming seasons will see other good young players move up to senior and 18u, as evidenced by the good performance of our 15u.
We are proud of this sporting season, but we are not satisfied. The great strength of Cometz is our ability to progress from year to year. This season, we were equal against the big French clubs. Next year we will beat them.
Photo credit: Audrey Frulloni
