SEVIER COUNTY, TN – The BUSC Sevier Starz U15 Boys soccer team traveled to Cookeville, TN to compete in the prestigious Tennessee State Championship the weekend of November 7th & 8th finishing with a very impressive 3rd place. The weather was unseasonably warm, the soccer complex enviable, all of the fields in great shape and the level of play high.

Not many knew anything about the unranked Starz when the tournament started but the buzz grew as this group of unknowns forced their head above the crowd.  The team, coached by Frank Cravens of Sevierville, had a single goal throughout the current season, the state championship.  Before the end of the first game, telephones were ringing in Maryville and Sevierville to find out more about the team.  The Sevier Starz team members are from Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Seymour making it a true Sevier County club team.  This group of boys has 8 U15 players and 7 players playing up one or two years.
 
Game one was played late Saturday afternoon against a very strong Jackson TN Wolves team and resulted in a 4-0 win for the Starz.  The strong defensive effort led by Harrison Genseal, Gatlinburg, McKinley Matthews, Sevierville, Grant Gourley, Seymour, Tyler Hounshell, Sevierville and first year keeper Daniel Patrick of Sevierville, kept the Wolves out of the Starz half for most of the game.  Midfielder Kenny Fisher of Sevierville and forward Bryan Velasquez of Pigeon Forge contributed to the score.
 
Late Saturday evening, game two, cold and breezy, a rematch with the McMinn County United Adrenaline, a team that had bested the Starz 2-1 in the first game of the regular season.  This was a match the Starz were looking forward to and they were ready. Strong midfield play by Gray Deanda, Sevierville, Joseph Dodgen, Pigeon Forge, Carlos Aleman, Gatlinburg and Conner Sharp of Seymour, kept the ball out of the Starz half and out of their net.  Strong performances by Quentin Moore, Seymour, Conor Fisher, Sevierville, Jeremiah Cassaza, Seymour, and Mason Powell, Seymour made this important win a reality.  Starz 3, Adrenaline 1.  The Starz now had the wins necessary to advance to the semi-finals on Sunday.
 
Sunday, 12:30 and the Starz were back on the field to face probably the second best team they had seen all season (The best team they had faced won the U16 division.).  After falling behind 3-0 early in the first half, the Starz scored 2, to make it 3-2 at the break.  The Clarksville Kaos went on to win the game with a final score of 7 to 3 and later won the championship.
 
 
Saturday evening Garth Kupritz BUSC Director of Coaching and Tom Leonard, Sevier County BUSC Commissioner received a calls from Tom Condone, Tennessee Director of Coaching and Player Development complimenting the team’s play and to further inquire about three of the Starz players, Carlos Aleman, Kenny Fisher and Bryan Velasquez.  The reason for his interest?  To invite them to participate in the Olympic Development Program. 
 
When asked how Coach Frank felt about his team he said “It has truly been an honor to coach this very special group of young men. This is my second season with this team and we have proven that we have athletes here in our community that can compete with teams from larger communities.”  
 

Tom Leonard and Frank Cravens coach a highly successful Division One ladies soccer team.  The Sevier Starz have openings at all age levels.  For information on Starz soccer contact Tom Leonard at leonard_t_2000@yahoo.com.

Sevier Starz 2009