Load up the fan buses and get ready to cheer on the Midtown High School boys soccer team as they prepare for the final game of the season.
The Midtown Knights (15-5) will face Dalton High School in the GHSA 4A State Championship game on Friday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Duluth High School.
“This particular group knew they had it in them,” Midtown head soccer coach David Mimnaugh said. “They went through this playoff run knowing what the goal is and just constantly kept their eye on the goal. This is huge for us.”
Over a decade ago, Midtown wasn’t the formidable soccer program that it is now. But over the last 10 years, the improved talent and player development have turned the Knights into a regular contender for state championships.
Midtown has reached the state semi-finals four times in the past eight years, and this is the school’s second state championship appearance in the last four years.
“From where we were 10 years ago to where we are today, there’s just much more of an expectation of getting results at the soccer program,” Midtown assistant soccer coach Josh DiGiovanni said. “Winning on Friday would solidify the work that these groups have done. Not just this senior class, but the senior classes that came before them.”
This year’s team is particularly close, and the ups and downs of the regular season helped prepare them for the postseason run. The team won 10 of its first 12 matches of the season before going through a late season slump right before the playoffs started.
“Injuries and different things caught us,” DiGiovanni said. “We did not finish the regular season strong by any means, but I think having the experience of being behind and having those experiences of losing games showed us a lot about ourselves that helped prepare us for this playoff run.”
However, those games allowed for more players to get valuable playing time and become big contributors to the team’s success in the playoffs.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Knights overcame a 2-0 deficit to Allatoona by scoring three goals in 20 minutes. The team went on to defeat Eastside High School 6-0, Centennial High School 3-2, and finally Walnut Grove 3-1 to earn its spot in the championship game.
“I think if it were a group that cared a little less about each other. they would have given up,” DiGiovanni said. “But they were so desperate to keep playing together, that they found a way to win.”
Several of the boys on this year’s team have been playing soccer together for most of their lives. Both coaches believe that the team’s cohesiveness is what makes this group special, and on Friday night they’ll have an opportunity to be champions.
“We’re all just taking in the moment because this is the first time this group has ever been in the state final, so it means a lot,” said Midtown senior, Sebi Velha. “Our biggest strength is that we can play with any team. It doesn’t matter who we play. We’re always going to make a game competitive and it’s going to be close no matter what.”
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