The Lake Oconee Academy boys soccer team easily defeated Lincoln County by a score of 7-1 on March 28, securing the Class A Division II Region 8 championship.
The Titans blazed their way through region play, sporting a perfect 4-0 record at the end. They head into the Class A Division II state playoffs in a few weeks as the top seed from Region 8.
LOA coach Tyler Mayer said his players were selfless in their pursuit of winning a region title.
“You never win anything for yourself, and we do what we do because we want to see the joy that sport can bring to athletes,” Mayer told the Lake Oconee News. “These guys deserved it. They deserved to go out there, play a good game, and collectively have fun. They did, and that just brought joy to my heart to see them celebrate after the win. It was also a great bonding experience for our team. It certainly was an enthusiastic win, and now we’ve got our eyes set on a bigger goal.”
Mayer was especially happy for his seniors, who had never won a region championship before.
LOA’s boys have a rich tradition of success, but Mayer said the culture around the program has changed this year. He’s seen the players buy into his process, and so far, the results have been positive.
“We’ve rallied around the culture we’re creating,” Mayer said. “These boys have an opportunity to leave a legacy here at the school, and one thing I make clear to the guys is that one day they’ll wake up and this won’t be here anymore. So, we’ve been embracing the chance to be part of something bigger than any individual, understanding that without each other, our goals won’t be achieved.”
The Titans accomplished their first goal of winning a region championship and now have their eyes set on a bigger prize. They’ve established themselves as a contender to win the state title this year.
Mayer doesn’t want his players to become complacent or look ahead, but he knows how talented this year’s squad is. They’re a very veteran-led group with talent at every position across the pitch.
“We don’t talk too much about winning,” Mayer said. “We talk about making sure we can control what we can control. What we can control is the effort we put into practice, the homework we put into the other teams, and our performance on the pitch. We have to be focused right now on winning one game at a time. We have to go on a one-game winning streak every time we go out on the field.”
This year’s group of Titans has proven their mental strength and responded to adversity by getting over some close losses.
Mayer hopes his team can maintain its success in the final stretch of the season against non-region opponents.
“Obviously, if you go out there, take care of business, and win the games on your schedule, there will eventually be a last game. We hope that the last game is the state championship,” Mayer said. “We aspire to be on top of that platform when the final whistle blows.”