The Jacksonville High soccer team.
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
As Athletic Director Ron Holtsford said, "It [was] all good in the hood" as the MaxPreps Tour of Champions pulled into Jacksonville, N.C., on Dec. 18 for the opening stop of the first MaxPreps Boys Soccer Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard.
The
Jacksonville (N.C.) Cardinals boys varsity soccer team was presented the Army National Guard national ranking trophy for its outstanding performance this season. With a 26-1 record, the Cardinals were able to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A state championship and finish as the No. 2 team in the nation according to the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings. It wasn't until members of the boys soccer team saw the prestigious Army National Guard national ranking trophy standing proudly next to their state championship trophy that the full feeling of accomplishment sank in for the players. Each then took the time to take pictures with their camera phones to remember this unforgettable moment.
A full slate of high school basketball was on the agenda for the night, as the Cardinals faced the Falcons of South Central High School. After multiple losses on the night, there wasn't much to cheer about until the boys soccer team took the court to accept its trophy and championship banner from Sgt. Garret Bishop, Capt. Kelvin Bell and other members of the North Carolina Army National Guard. As head coach David Miller lifted the Army National Guard national ranking trophy above his head, the crowd showed its support with a spirited round of applause. The student section, dressed in assorted holiday gear, began to drown out the applause with various chants of "number one, number one" as the trophy was handed from player to player - each hoisting it above their head in a victorious manner.
When the halftime ceremony concluded, the celebration continued in the gym lobby as players, coaches, friends and family took the time to make sure that the evening would be a moment to remember as photos and videos were taken. As the camera man from Fox-TV walked into the lobby, one of the players yelled in excitement "I'm on TV!" With the majority of the team comprised of underclassmen, the Cardinals boys varsity soccer team is determined to have MaxPreps and the Army National Guard return to their school to recognize their accomplishments again next year, but this time as the No. 1 team in the country.
At dinner that night, we were fortunate enough to have the company of Ron Holtsford (athletic director) and David Miller (head coach), where we engaged in conversation and ultimately cheers to not only their accomplishments as administrator and coach, but also as a school. A good time was had by all that night in Jacksonville, and of course we left with that good old Southern hospitality inviting us back to their neck of the woods any time we venture below the Mason Dixon Line.
