Some 181 teams from U13 to U19 took part in what is the first step in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, the nation's premier youth soccer tournament.
The first team crowned state champ was United FC's U19s, which includes New Albany's Derek Webb and goalkeeper TJ Fox of Jeffersonville.
Webb had the assist on United's first win against Bluegrass SC 1-0 in Lexington on May 24, before they went on to beat Owensboro United 3-0 in the three team round robin the following day.
Last Wednesday, Javanon's U19 girls, featuring Western Kentucky University's Chelsea Grover from Jeffersonville, beat Louisville SC 5-0 to earn the right to represent Kentucky at the regional championships. Playing on LSC's team was Floyd Central graduate Chelsea Stanley, who plays at Center College.
However, it was over the past weekend that the majority of finals were held at Lover's Lane Soccer Complex in Bowling Green, and a number of the area's players were on winning teams.
Pierce Crawley of Jeffersonville was part of the ruthless Javanon team that beat Northern Kentucky United 4-0 in the U13 boys' final. They scored 23 goals in the whole tournament and kept clean sheets throughout. Crawley, who attends Providence Junior High, was recently selected on Indiana's Olympic Development Program U13 team.
Trevor Bruner, also of Jeffersonville and a Kentucky ODP player, and New Albany's Keenan Sparks, were part of a Javanon U16 team that won its fourth state title - and second in succession - when beating United 1996 2-1 in the final. Bruner attends Trinity, while Sparks goes to Providence.
The team is having a great season in the Midwest Regional League, where they beat FC Pride, ranked fifth in the nation, so confidence is high going into the regional championships.
Providence's Daniel Wilburn and Floyd Central's Matt Kelsey were involved in what was probably one of the most exciting games of the weekend, with their Javanon U14 side beating Mockingbird 2-1 in a nail biting contest, scoring with just seconds remaining on the clock.
Mockingbird's Kaitlin Robinett (pictured right)
New Albany High School's Kaitlin Robinett was part of Mockingbird's only State Cup success of the weekend, when her U16 team beat Northern Kentucky United for the second successive year in the final, this time by a 2-0 scoreline. It is their third state title, and was achieved with 16 goals scored and just one conceded.
Of the 14 titles on offer, eight were won by Javanon; two each by United 1996 and Lexington FC; and one each by Mockingbird and Central Kentucky SC.
Next up for the victors is a trip to the regional championships in Rockford, Illinois, which will be held from June 20-25. State winners from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, South/North Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Minnesota will be involved.
The national finals will be held at Burns Park Soccer Complex in North Little Rock, Arkansas, from July 22-27.
