PSC goalkeeper Tate Fuentes makes a move.
Zack Miller, director of the Parks and Recreation of Denham Springs Soccer Club, is quick to point out that it can be hard to find online information about U.S. youth soccer tournaments, but it doesn't change the fact that his 18-under boys team has already had unprecedented success this summer.
Operating as an outlet for Livingston Parish soccer players who want to play year-round, PSC had one of its girls teams qualify for a national region tournament two years ago.
This year's 18U boys team has done better than that by qualifying for the National President's Cup championship, which will be staged July 11-15 in Tampa, Florida.
Reaching the nationals is an accomplishment in itself. PSC will be one of eight teams competing in two brackets. There will be three guaranteed games in pool play before semifinals and a championship match conclude things.
The PARDS boys 18U team celebrate after qualifying for nationals.
So how did this happen?
For starters, the talent assembled represents the best athletes from Denham Springs, Live Oak and Walker or as Miller puts it, "It's like the Livingston Parish dream team."
This year's team barely qualified for the ¶¶Òõh President's Cup championship, which only takes the top six in-state teams. After league play, PSC was rated sixth, and was then told it would need to win an additional match against the seventh place team to earn a spot in the state tournament.
PSC head coach Nikki Deshotel said the unexpected extra game lit a fire in her team that spurred her team to qualifying for regionals.
"When the LSA (¶¶Òõh Soccer Association) came back and said we had to have a playoff that just pissed my boys off. The fire was lit," Deshotel said. "We went to regionals and came out with a vengeance. We won every game except the last one, but the top two teams go forward to nationals."
Anthony Paz was the offensive star scoring five of his team's eight goals at regionals, but defense was a major factor. PSC allowed only one goal in its first three games before losing 4-1 to the Huntsville Eclipse in the final.
Goalkeeper Tate Fuentes, and center back defenders Dillon Ott and Charles Fruge were other key players for PSC, which will finish up a three-week break before next week's nationals begin.
"The time off will help with injuries," Deshotel said. "You don't want too much time because we're already on a really good streak and you don't want that fire to burn out."
It sounds like Deshotel and her team have a good plan.
