Saturday night I returned to Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood for the 3A state soccer championship. I was here ten years ago for the same reason, only ten years ago I was playing for the title, not photographing it. I remember the night being very, very cold, much like it was tonight. It was the kind of cold that leaks into your bones and chills you to the core. We were the underdog, going up against a Lakeside team that hadn’t lost in two years. We were the team that drove Chevys and Fords. They were the team that drove BMWs and Lexuses. At one point the PA announcer came on letting people know that there was a Audi in the parking lot with its lights on. A roar of laughter came from our sidelines as all our parents exclaimed that it couldn’t be any of the Mount Vernon cars. It was a bit of levity in an otherwise stress-filled evening. However, when the evening was over, we had ended Lakeside’s two-year winning streak and took the 3A state championship trophy back to Mount Vernon with a 1-0 victory. It was a night I will never forget.
I began to get flashbacks as time ticked down in Everett’s 3-0 win over Seattle Prep Saturday night. I had the fortune to photograph Everett several time during this season and was always VERY impressed at the way they moved the ball. The speed and efficiency in which they counter attacked is the best I’ve ever seen at the high school level.
Everett opened the scoring midway through the first half, scoring twice within a minute.
Needless to say, the Everett players were exceptionally excited to win their very first title, much like our team was. I hope it was a night that they will never forget.
There is the state champs trophy. It spent a happy year in the Mount Vernon High School trophy case. I’m sure it will be very happy in the Everett case.
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