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A little more than a decade ago, parents and players from the youngest youth league on up realized a dream come true when the Camdenton School Board voted to approve the creation of a high school soccer program.
Like any new competitive program, those early days under head coach Scott Blake were filled with growing pains, lopsided losses and even a field I once dubbed “the home swamp advantage” for its tendency to puddle water.
Blake never lost his optimistic outlook even when times were hardest and the losses piled up. His forward-looking attitude certainly took root.
The enthusiasm and support from the school district and community slowly built its own field of dreams at the new Camdenton sports complex. A program that once tried to play around puddles and whose fans had to use portable bathrooms now boast one of the nicest fields, lights and a quality concession stand building.
The program grew, the players got better, and still, every year there was a stumbling block.
State powerhouse Rolla was usually the culprit, playing the nemesis role like it read a script and sending the Camdenton team home with a loss. The Soccer Lakers kept closing the gap until turnabout became fair play this year.
The 2009 fall season was a year of firsts for the team:
• It beat Rolla for the first ever 2-0 in mid-October.
• It finished conference play undefeated to clinch its first Ozark Conference championship.
• And last Thursday evening, the final monkey on the back was cast aside when the Soccer Lakers won a double-overtime thriller (over Rolla, no less) to clinch their first trip to the state playoffs.
While the real challenge begins in earnest at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Columbia Hickman in Jefferson City, the milestone accomplishments won’t go unnoticed in Lakerland.
At a school where the football team has won five state championships and a trip to the playoffs is almost expected, the soccer program can now say it belongs too.
Times have changed, ladies and gentlemen. The Football Lakers host a home playoff game Monday, the Soccer Lakers travel for a playoff game Tuesday. Welcome to the new world order.
Look for the fans. It’ll be easy to spot the Soccer Laker supporters, parents and former players around the lake – they’ll be the ones with the ear-to-ear grin and the smile beaming like a spotlight cutting through a dark night.
Contact the Lake Sun editor at david.schiefelbein@lakesunonline.com.
A little more than a decade ago, parents and players from the youngest youth league on up realized a dream come true when the Camdenton School Board voted to approve the creation of a high school soccer program.
Like any new competitive program, those early days under head coach Scott Blake were filled with growing pains, lopsided losses and even a field I once dubbed “the home swamp advantage” for its tendency to puddle water.
Blake never lost his optimistic outlook even when times were hardest and the losses piled up. His forward-looking attitude certainly took root.
The enthusiasm and support from the school district and community slowly built its own field of dreams at the new Camdenton sports complex. A program that once tried to play around puddles and whose fans had to use portable bathrooms now boast one of the nicest fields, lights and a quality concession stand building.
The program grew, the players got better, and still, every year there was a stumbling block.
State powerhouse Rolla was usually the culprit, playing the nemesis role like it read a script and sending the Camdenton team home with a loss. The Soccer Lakers kept closing the gap until turnabout became fair play this year.
The 2009 fall season was a year of firsts for the team:
• It beat Rolla for the first ever 2-0 in mid-October.
• It finished conference play undefeated to clinch its first Ozark Conference championship.
• And last Thursday evening, the final monkey on the back was cast aside when the Soccer Lakers won a double-overtime thriller (over Rolla, no less) to clinch their first trip to the state playoffs.
While the real challenge begins in earnest at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Columbia Hickman in Jefferson City, the milestone accomplishments won’t go unnoticed in Lakerland.
At a school where the football team has won five state championships and a trip to the playoffs is almost expected, the soccer program can now say it belongs too.
Times have changed, ladies and gentlemen. The Football Lakers host a home playoff game Monday, the Soccer Lakers travel for a playoff game Tuesday. Welcome to the new world order.
Look for the fans. It’ll be easy to spot the Soccer Laker supporters, parents and former players around the lake – they’ll be the ones with the ear-to-ear grin and the smile beaming like a spotlight cutting through a dark night.
Contact the Lake Sun editor at david.schiefelbein@lakesunonline.com.
