A Soccer Legacy Retires

Gil Palladino walked over to the line of boys soccer players and reached out his hand for high fives.

The Faith Heritage players coming off the turf at Clinton Stadium, heads down, having just lost in one of the Section Three Class C semifinals to Cooperstown.

Palladino spoke to each one, taking a little more time to talk with their coach.

Behind him the two teams to play in the other Class C semifinal hosted by Clinton warmed up, including his own, Westmoreland/Oriskany.

In other seasons Palladino would likely have focused more on his team preparing to play.

But this year the longtime boys soccer coach has had an extra connection to those walking off the field for the last time.

It didn’t happen that night, as the Bulldogs beat Frankfort-Schuyler in overtime to advance to the Class C championship.

When that Saturday game at VVS ended, so too did 42 years of one’s man’s contribution to local boys soccer.

Palladino, of Clinton, went into this season knowing it would be his last.

He was upfront about it from the beginning, having, he said, learned how not to do it when he retired after 31 years coaching Clinton boys soccer.

So playing the semifinal at ...