Photo courtesy of CSO
COLUMBUS — Columbus Soccer Organization saw several of its teams shine in late-season tournaments this month, bringing home hardware from three tournaments with four teams playing across three states.
“We are extremely proud of our teams for these outstanding achievements at both the state and regional levels,” said Jessica Tackett, CSP Board Member for competitive soccer. “These accomplishments are a testament to the exceptional talent being developed at United and CSO.”
At the State Games of Mississippi, CSO travel teams for Columbus United U14 boys and the United U16 boys’ team both brought home gold, while the U11 boys competed in the State Games of Alabama and the North Mississippi All-Stars competed in North Carolina at the U.S. Club Southeast Regional Championships.
The U14 boys, coached by Layla Wilson and Sarah Havens, defeated Pearl All-Stars 1-0 and Meridian Alliance FC 5-0 to earn a spot in the championship game. They faced Pearl in a rematch, playing another close game but coming out on top 2-1.
Photos courtesy of CSO
The U16 boys, coached by Dave Albertson, dominated Laurel-Jones FC 4-0 in the opening match and Alliance FC 3-0 to punch their ticket to the finals. The dominant defensive performance continued in the championship match with a 2-0 defeat of Laurel-Jones to secure the gold.
The strong performances continued at the State Games of Alabama the following weekend with the U11 boys earning finalist honors. The opening match was a tight 3-2 loss to HSV Webb from Dothan, Ala., but the team bounced back with wins over PCUSC, 11-0, and the Hokes Bluff Hurricanes, 11-1. The victories earned them a championship rematch with HSV Webb, but they fell, 2-1.
In North Carolina, the North Mississippi All-Stars, coached by John Miller and Kase Kingery, represented the Golden Triangle area at one of the highest levels of youth club soccer in the country. The team went through group play undefeated, with a 3-2 win against SPS Academy out of Florida and a 4-2 win over River City FC from Missouri to secure passage to the knockout round. Their run ended in the semifinals, losing 1-0 to Space Coast United out of Florida on a penalty kick in the last minute of the game.
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