Thursday, February 6, 2025

Tidewater Sharks U12 Soccer Team Earns Virginia State Championship, No. 1 Ranking in Virginia

The 12U Tidewater Sharks soccer team is the 2024 Virginia State Cup Champions. Top Row – Evan Beilstein, Henry Latell, Gavin Ziebert, Jacoy Christian, Jackson Guldin, Daniel Whisenant, Braxx Diaz, Coach Chris Scrofani Bottom Row – Braden Scrofani, Rey Ramiro, Macon Ancarrow, Kullen Maramot, Owen Martin, Grady Fleischman (Tidewater Sharks)

WILLIAMSBURG — The Tidewater Sharks U12 soccer team placed first in several tournaments this year and capped the season off by winning the Virginia State Cup and achieving the No. 1 ranking in the state.

In its first match of the season, the Sharks had to come from two goals down in the last five minutes to win at the Blue Ridge Labor Day Cup, a victory that helped set the table for a season of success.

“We really set the tone in our first tournament of the year. I knew we had a good team, I knew we had some good players, but I think that tournament set the tone for the whole year. It was just one of these games where I said ‘how did that happen?’ and that really was the way this team was through the whole season. We faced adversity but the boys always found a way to win,” said Head Coach Chris Scrofani.

Last fall, the boys also took first-place finishes at the River City Cup and Capital Fall Classic, ending the fall half of the season second in the league.

As the spring portion of the season began, the boys added championship trophies from the Jefferson Cup and the Memorial Day Invitational Williamsburg tournaments.

“I’ll be the first to say that we weren’t always the best team, — the better team — in these games, but the boys just figured out their dynamic and they kept rolling with it throughout the season,” Scrofani said.

As the spring season came to a close, the Tidewater Sharks found themselves atop the Virginia Premier Soccer League.

In their run for the Virginia State Cup, the boys saw themselves matched up against competitive teams from Northern Virginia, each match ending in penalty kicks.

In the quarterfinals against Herndon, the teams ended regulation tied at a goal a piece. In the following two five minute overtime periods, the Sharks struck first, adding two goals. During the last play of the game, Herndon scored off a corner kick to send the game to penalties.

In semifinal action, the Sharks faced Prince William, a team that Scrofani played with as a youth. The Sharks scored early but Prince William answered right back. Once again ending regulation tied, Prince William took the lead with three minutes left in overtime. Winning a free kick off the box with 30 seconds left, the Sharks scored to tie the game and force penalty kicks.

In the final, facing Arlington, the team stepped up. The Sharks goalie blocked all three shots that Arlington took, while the Sharks found the back of the net three times. When the final whistle blew, Scrofani met his team on the field to celebrate. After the win sunk in, Scrofani had a simple message for his team.

“I told them, for me, it was very special because I won as a player and this is the first time I’ve ever won as a coach. I do believe this is the most talented team I’ve ever coached. I really wanted them to embrace the moment and celebrate what they achieved, not only for this tournament but the entire year,” Scrofani said.

To cap it all off, the team at GotSoccer.com ranked the Sharks No. 1 in Virginia.

“We’ve gotten to a No. 1 ranking this season. That’s a big deal. GotSoccer is the official ranking for club teams. To be No. 1 in Virginia, and it being the first time any Sharks team has achieved that, it’s a big achievement thanks to all the success the boys had this year,” Scrofani said.

The current U12 team will become part of Virginia Reign FC for the 2024-25 season.

For more information on the Tidewater Sharks, visit sharks-soccer.com.

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