Local youth soccer team return as champs

This year, the WMFC Highlanders made the trip back to their hometown as champions. Head coach Chad Deitering has coached the team since 2017 and was proud to bring home their first championship trophy under his tenure.

“I played soccer as a kid. I played intramural at University of Arizona and then came up here and met Andrew Brumfield, who is the soccer coach at Show Low High School,” he said. “He wrangled me into coaching, so I assist with the Show Low JV team and I coach and travel with the Highlanders.

“We try to go to three or four tournaments a year. We’ve made trips to Phoenix and Tucson, but we’ve also gone out to Albuquerque and Las Cruces. We’ve definitely won a few games here and there, but we’ve hadn’t taken home the big prize yet.”

The Highlanders played and won two games on Jan. 14, both by a score of 1-0. The team’s victories earned them first place within their bracket, which enabled them to play the No. 2 ranked team in the other bracket on Jan. 15. The Highlanders won that matchup 2-0, thrusting them into the championship game.

“The championship game ended 0-0 and went to penalty kicks. Put simply, our first three shooters made their scores, and the opposing three shooters did not. The boys took the game 3-0,” Deitering said.

“This past tournament was the farthest we’ve made it in the brackets. It was an incredible win for the kids. They all work hard to get where they want to go, and this year they went all the way.”

Each player was awarded a gold medal attached to a bright blue ribbon and a Fort Lowell Shootout pin to commemorate their achievement. The team was also awarded a trophy resembling an old cowboy boot.

Deitering said the boys, “Got a kick from the trophy. They loved it, and I was glad they were able to enjoy the moment as winners. My son, James, also plays on the team, and I knew how important it was to him.”

Ida Carpenter also knew what the championship win meant to her son, Carter. Carpenter said Carter began playing with the Highlanders when he was 9 and now, at 14, he’s more excited than ever to get back on the field and keep winning.

“They were so excited,” she said. “They played so well as a cohesive team, and all the years of hard work and all of the years of disappointment paid off in the end. I think they may be more excited than ever to get out there and play again, maybe bring home another trophy.”

Deitering is already planning for the team’s next tournament: the 43rd Annual Jacob’s Classic. The tournament will be held from Feb. 17 to 19 at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson.

“I just want them to stay positive and keep playing. This group is at something of a weird juncture in life. Most are finishing junior high and going into high school, so priorities will change, and their interests are probably going to vary as they get older,” Deitering said.

“I don’t want them to be satisfied with just one win. I’d like to see them go out and get as many wins as they can, both on and off the field. I’d like to see them take that feeling and apply it to everything else they do; to want to keep winning.”

Comments and questions are always welcome. Contact the reporter at jhernandez@wmicentral.com.