94 Boys Soar To State Championship

It isn’t supposed to be easy.  The Division One state tournament is usually a grueling test of will and guts, with blood, sweat and tears a consistent staple of the journey; furthermore, a little bit of luck, in the form of lucky bounces and generous twists, is normally needed to take home a title.  For the 94 Boys Black, this year’s state tournament was barely a challenge.  After a tie with a scrappy Brentwood team to open up the competition, the FC Alliance team destroyed East Ridge 11-1 and then cruised to a 3-0 win over arch rival Clarksville Kaos in the final.  The championship game was a full circle of sorts.  To conclude their very first state tournament in 2004, the 94 Boys Black beat the same Clarksville squad 3-1 in the U11 title game.  Seven years later, in what is most likely their last state tournament, they did it again as a U18 team, with the same core of players still around to lift the crown. 

This is the fifth state championship for the storied Knoxville team.  They have won two straight Region Premier League titles, to go along with a long list of major tournament wins.  Many of the players will be signing on with college programs in February, including multiple NCAA Division One schools. Two have already made commitments with Division One programs.  The team is coached by Jon Schneider, who will be leading the squad to regionals in Greenville, South Carolina in June 2012.