OBX Storm U11 Boys win national championship

First row, L to R: Ryder Dutt, Woods Rogers, Silas Warrender, Henry Maner, Jaxen Varnell. Second row, L to R: Gideon Saunders, Dylan Quezada, Carlos Obregon, Grey Harrell, Miles Foubister, Max Garavito, Zach Munro, Misha Goninan. Third row: Edward Estrada, Coach Matt Hart. [OBX Storm/Submitted]

The OBX Storm U11 Boys were invited to play in the Adidas National Cup in Richmond on February 18 and 19. They were one of 192 Club teams vying for the coveted first place win.

This is yet another true Cinderella story coming from the Outer Banks. This gritty and determined team was invited to participate in this select Tournament only 3 weeks prior. Three weeks ago, the team was asked if they can show up and make it happen, between ski trips, basketball season, indoor soccer season, or even just a restful winter. The team answered the call, competing alongside some of the highest ranked teams in the nation, and bringing home the championship trophy.

The team played two games on Saturday resulting in a tie for the first game against Northern Virginia Soccer Club (NVSC) and a shutout win for the second game against Arya RVA.

Sunday morning’s game against Southern Chester County Soccer Association from Pennsylvania resulted in a tie and OBX Storm moved on to the Championship Final.

Coincidentally, the Final game was also against Southern Chester County Soccer Association, and the OBX Storm team was able to clinch the Championship in a hard-fought battle on the pitch with a 1-0 final score.

The team celebrated the win immediately following the game with gold medals and a large Championship Cup that was awarded by Brian Kuk, the Adidas National Cup Tournament Director.

When asked to share his sentiments regarding the team and the win, Coach Matt Hart commented, “I have been working with this group since the Fall of 2021 and it has been a pleasure to watch them all develop and grow their game. They are a joy to coach and come to practice ready to train, no matter the circumstances; They train on any field space we can find, in any weather condition, and sometimes even without lights. They never once complain and are eager to play. Our team really deserved this Win, we have worked our tails off for two years. It was such a great feeling seeing our hard work come to fruition. The Players deserve all of the credit for this past weekend. They make my job a breeze and I am proud to be their coach. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve this Spring and beyond!”

OBX Storm Coaching Director, Steve Smalley shared, “Coach Matt Hart has been a dedicated Coach and has created a solid foundation of skills in his players. The Club is lucky to have him as one of our dedicated, caring and knowledgeable coaches. OBX Storm is proud of this team on their tremendous win.”

Join us in congratulating the OBX Storm U11 Boys on their National Championship win!

For more information about OBX Storm, please visit obxstorm.net or email info@obxstorm.net.

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