Raymond H. Cabot

The final whistle in Peddie’s 2-0 win over Blair on Nov. 12, 2006 signaled not only another victory for veteran coach Ray Cabot but it also marked the end of an era. Coach Cabot retired from the sidelines after that game, ending his storied 16-year career as the head of one of the school’s most successful programs ever.

During those 16 seasons, Ray’s teams compiled a mark of 207-62-14 for an extraordinary .756 winning percentage. They captured nine state championships, seven consecutive Mid-Atlantic Prep League titles (1998-2004) and in 2002 his 17-1-1 squad was ranked 10th in the nation by USA TODAY.

“I look back with pride on the level of competition against which we challenged ourselves,” Cabot said. “My philosophy was always to try to compete against the most difficult opponents and I am very proud of how well we did just that.”

Ray was selected Prep Coach of the Year seven times by the local media, and the Trenton Times voted his 1994 squad the “Team of the Decade.” His 2001 undefeated team (19-0) earned a No. 1 ranking from Student Sports Magazine. From October 2000 through the mid-season of 2002, Cabot’s squads rode a prodigious 40-game unbeaten streak including 29 shut-outs.

Impressive as they are, though, winning percentages and statistics were never the top priority. “I firmly believe the lessons of playing soccer at Peddie should extend well beyond the wins and losses,” Cabot said. “I hope that playing soccer has made a difference in each girl’s passion to excel.”

He taught his pupils well as showcased by the success of his players at the collegiate level.

Trying to define success in the arena of interscholastic soccer is a daunting task for this short biography. Even so, no matter how one measures it, Ray Cabot has achieved success and brought it to his players as few coaches ever have.