The Cedar Park Christian-Mountlake Terrace boys soccer team won the 1B academic state championship with a grade-point average of 3.62.
“I believe the biggest reason (for their success) is their home-life structure and the expectations of their parents, coupled with the teachers that encourage them,” Lions coach Perry Travis said. “From my perspective, throughout the season, I’ll strategically put two or three days aside and tell them to catch up (on schoolwork) instead of coming out to the field.”
On the field, Cedar Park Christian-MLT (3-11-0) started the season with seven straight losses, but improved markedly in the second half, posting all three of its wins, including a victory over Providence Classical Christian, the eventual Northwest League 1A/2B champion, on Oct. 6.
“We had a shift in strategy,” Travis said. “We went toward a more defensive posture. We decreased our goals allowed, as one would expect, but ironically we increased our goals scored as well. We played so defensive that we lulled (opposing) defenders to sleep, and we had success with counter-attacks.”
