Lanett, Al. - The Springwood Boys Soccer team know they had a target on their back heading into this season. Even as the defending AISA State Champions the Wildcats were determined to make it back to the State Championship Game.
"Once you get there you want to go back and that's always the goal. To go back and win another one because you know the feeling and you want to experience it again," said Springwood Boys Soccer Head Coach John Lanier.
Springwood faced off against Fort Dale for the AISA's biggest prize. At first it looked like the Wildcats were going to cruise to an easy win since they jumped to a 3-0 lead. Fort Dale fought all the way back and tied the game at 4-4 at the end of regulation. The 2024 Championship was going to be decided by a penalty kick shootout. Even though the game was forced to PK's the Wildcats weren't discouraged.
"It was a bad feeling but we didn't give up. We went to the PK's. We practiced a lot for this. We practiced a lot of PK's," said left wing and senior co-captain Guilherme Teixeira.
"Just like last year, not much stress everything was under control. We have my co-captain and all my other seniors leading the team. It was pretty fun actually," said senior center back and co-captain Dixon Fuller.
The Wildcats were locked in from the beginning of the penalty kick shootout. Eventually, Ethan Mabry scored the championship clinching goal. The Springwood boys were on Cloud 9 as they won their second consecutive AISA State Championship and immediately celebrated with Mabry.
"And we all just sprint straight to him, tackle him and we get to Gatorade coach and we're all screaming. It was really, really, really, really amazing," said Fuller.
During their celebration, the American and international player on the Wildcats' roster held up their home country's flags. It was a special way to their unity as a team while honoring their roots.
"It's great to be able to celebrate the different nations that our guys are from. That you can bring people together from all over and they can be part of a team and accomplish something great like that," said Lanier.
Congratulations to our newest Kia AutoSport Athletes of the Week the Springwood Wildcats Boys Soccer Team the back-to-back AISA State Champions.
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