They came. They saw. They conquered…again.
With a mass of dedicated fans in tow, Seven Lakes traveled to Birkelbach Field in Georgetown, which would mark the team’s third-straight appearance in the UIL State Tournament – the first time a program has done so in Class 6A.
However, they didn’t have any intention of stopping there.
The Spartans were on a mission to become the first Class 6A soccer team to claim back-to-back UIL state championships.
Following an exhilarating 100 minutes Saturday night, the Spartans would ultimately achieve their goal, with a 2-1 victory over Flower Mound in extra time.
In his 17th year with the program, coach James Krueger and Seven Lakes have asserted themselves as perhaps one of the most dominant teams the state has ever seen.
“I wanted to get as much time with these guys as possible this season," said Krueger. "To make it to the last day was everything to me. I was emotional stepping onto this field, because it was my last time with this senior class, and just the legacy that they put out their for the next generation was tremendous."
"So, what it means is that it's their accomplishment, and I was along for the ride and guiding them the best way that I could. They accomplished everything they set out for this season, and it's just an absolute story-book ending for them. It's everything they deserve for this program."
Senior defender Aidan Morrison was the catalyst for the Spartans, contributing the definitive goal off a free-kick in the 98th minute to seal the Spartans' resilient victory.
His exceptional efforts earned him MVP honors just minutes after the uproar, which cements his legacy as an all-time great within the team’s already rich history.
“It's from all the hard work put into the program over the years," Morrison said. "It's not just this year or last year. It's all the seasons that (Coach) Krueger has built up, along with great teams and players. For us to do it the first time was unreal, but going back-to-back--you never think of that."
"The big thing has been just to trust each other. We've had such a hard season and faced plenty of adversity, which has us prepared for this. The message I've been giving the guys is to just stick together as a family, trust in each other, and I knew that we'd eventually step up to the challenge."
Seven Lakes was also buoyed by the veteran performances of Kortay Koc, Ben Aviles Vera, Fernando Lazo, Noah Bosso, and Daniel Ejerenwa, among others.
Of course, you can’t forget about the second all-time leading scorer in program history, Noa Stasic (Sr. F), who gave Seven Lakes their initial lead in the second half.
“There's so much emotion in all this," he said. "It was the last time playing with these guys and I love the way it ended -- winning the title again and making history. It's going to be tough for the underclassmen to beat that, but I think it was so cathartic because of that fact."
The senior class can now relish in the fact that they have elevated Seven Lakes to state superpower status.
As Stasic mentioned, this will undoubtedly be a difficult precedent to top for anyone. However, that doesn't mean the senior forward didn't have any advice to give the younger generation who will look to uphold the mantle next Winter.
“Just keep on working," said Stasic. "That's one of the biggest things you'll learn throughout the years in this program. Even though we lost two years ago on this same field, and were crying and rolling around, we knew were going to come back and win it all. That hard-working mentality and resiliency is all they need to make a run a year from now."
The Spartans cap off another historic Winter season with a record of 25-1-2, and now travel back to Katy as back-to-back state champs.
Additionally, they may have cemented the team's status as perhaps one of the best groups to grace the high school pitch.
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