by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

On March 2, the Elite Cup Boys under-10 division of the Southern California State Cup crowned its latest champion: the 2015 Foothill Storm Soccer Club. It’s the first State Cup trophy for the Storm since its inception in 1998.

“It’s just a fun thing to be a part of,” said head coach Brandon Gonzalez. “To see kids not knowing how big their dreams can be until they achieve something at this level and realize that they can start to set bigger goals for themselves and to feel … to whatever degree, ‘I’m a part of that,’ that experience for them, has been incredible.”

The team includes Harrison Collinsworth, Cruz Barker, Nicholas Tzounis, Will Suttner, Bodie Gonzalez, Jett Robertson, Owen Fairley, Danny Gonzalez, and Michael Ruiz.

The SoCal State Cup, hosted by SOCAL Soccer League and sanctioned by United States Club Soccer, is one of the most competitive youth soccer tournaments in the state. The Storm went 9-1-2 in SoCal League play, known as flight II east II, which was enough to put them in the Elite Cup level of State Cup, a combination of flight I and flight II teams from Santa Barbara down to San Diego County.

Since the regular season ended in November, the team had to find ways to stay game ready until State Cup rolled around. That meant hosting practices with older Foothill Storm teams, playing scrimmages and friendlies with local teams, and allowing a few of the boys “guest play,” or to temporarily join other teams, at a tournament in Las Vegas.

The Storm won eight straight games at the State Cup tournament, culminating with a 4-1 victory over City Soccer Club of Carlsbad in the March 2 final.

Gonzalez’s son Bodie, who’s also team captain, lifted the trophy later that day.

“I always felt that he was the one really driving the direction that the team was going to go,” coach Gonzalez said of Bodie. “And it’s been brilliant to find other families that had that trust in me to coach their son as if I was coaching my son, because that’s kind of how my philosophy is. I’m just so proud of my boys and obviously proud of my families and my parents who have stuck with me.”