A Sampson player pushes the ball forward.
Courtesy of Jackson Gunnells Photography
Small town soccer club takes it national, wins Piedmont Conference title
Courtesy of Jackson Gunnells Photography
A shot is aimed toward net.
Courtesy of Jackson Gunnells Photography
A Sampson player fights off a midfielder to retain possession for the club.
Courtesy of Jackson Gunnells Photography
Sampson player sends a pass backwards to keep away from opponent
Courtesy of Jackson Gunnells Photography
To say I am incredibly proud of my club is an understatement, I do not usually take to the media but this achievement is worth it. As one of the smallest clubs in the state we have been building year on year and getting out teams into the top premier division in NCYSA, we compete over the 09, 08, 07 and 05 age groups, amazing for SCS Clinton United
Our 08 group have gone one step further after our match on Mar 20, taking the 22/23 National Piedmont Conference title, competing against top teams from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Their journey onto the USYS National level started with a wildcard invite after winning the u13 Elite East division 2021. We then entered NC State Cup for the first time that spring and lost the majority of games to top teams in NC. A great first introduction for our little club to the higher levels.
Then the start of our national journey began, competing for the first time in the 2021/22 National League Piedmont conference and surprising the pack by finishing 2nd in our first ever season. A great showing at this level. With a top 2 finish, we got an invite to the National P.R.O (Player, Recruitment, Opportunity), a National league about the Piedmont conference. This competition would see us compete, nationally, against all top teams throughout the USA in 2022/23.
We returned to State play in the Spring of 2022 NCYSA and again showed tremendous growth by winning our clubs first ever Premier title. A fantastic season with an amazing group of players now wanting to fight to be the best in NC. The boys showed tremendous growth and determination at this level to win this division. For only the second time we returned to the USYS State cup and although it wasn’t the final we wanted, again, they showed their true potential by making into the the State Cup Finals of 2022.
Our journey was to only get better as in 2022/23 we returned to the National Piedmont conference and once again showed our quality to lead the table for most of the season!! It was a delayed game of 2022 that was played on Mar 20 which clinched the title officially for us with a 2-0 win over Wake FC as National League Piedmont Conference Champions.
The National P.R.O first event took place in Orlando Florida at the ESPN World of Sports this past December and what an event it was. An amazing chance to be apart of top level football in the states. A tough weekend of games but a phenomenal upset on the last day beating a Miami team ranked No.3 in the nation!!
An amazing journey and some incredible achievements and accolades secured along the way. I have loved coaching these boys and watching them develop into great young men and players determined to make something of themselves in the game. Upsetting big clubs and teams along the way. Well done again to all the boys involved in the journey.
I hope they continue to grow and we begin to build more teams around them that can go on to achieve the same things.
Reach Anthony McConnaughey at amcconnaughey@[email protected] or on Twitter @SampsonSports