Watching the Sugar River Raiders win the first state title in program history last weekend was rewarding to see — and not because of a personal connection, per se.

The chemistry of the Raiders was primed for a run, let alone because of just the collective talent of players and coaches. Sugar River, made up of Belleville and New Glarus, has had a tremendous youth soccer program for both boys and girls that dates back decades. Glancing at it from afar, it’s always stood out to me.

Being from Monroe, soccer has never really “been our thing.” When the Rebels program started in the 1990s, it was riding the wave of the U.S. run in the men’s and women’s World Cups and Olympics. A football town, Monroe didn’t have much use for boys soccer for a while. Only in the mid-2000s when the high school program kicked off did Monroe’s program get serious — and it’s been playing catch-up ever since. 

Sure, the Cheesemakers have had a winning season or two here and there, but nothing sustained. Meanwhile, just 20 minutes to the north, Sugar River’s boys and girls high school teams have been contenders for deep playoff runs and potential state berths the entire time — and with less enrollment than Monroe.

The success isn’t because of a talent disparity, or playing against a lesser competitive conference, but rather is rooted in the youth program. When my eldest daughter, now an MHS senior, started playing Rebels back at the age of 8, like many of her teammates, she was learning the game from the beginning — passing, flow, kicking and dribbling fundamentals, etc. When they lined up against Sugar River, the level of IQ in the game was noticeable right away. The little Raiders kept a pace Monroe wasn’t able to match — quick throw-ins, passes into empty patches of grass, passing to maintain possession and find an opening, and then, last but not least, putting the ball into the back of the net. 

As these youth groups have aged, the Raiders have always seemingly stood out a full step (or, likely, two) ahead of Monroe. 

As high schoolers, both the boys and girls teams routinely play suffocating defense and possess the ball at a disproportionate rate. They also have multiple forwards that can crash the net at a moments notice and midfielders and defenders that can quickly get through balls up the pitch to counterattack. Honestly, it’s been a beauty to watch. 

After years and years of both Sugar River’s boys and girls teams getting so close to the state tournament, let alone a state title shot, only to be thwarted by Madison Edgewood, Mount Horeb or McFarland, it was a pleasure watching this falls boys team climb over the hill and etch their name into the history books. 

Winning a state title is a rare accomplishment, and in some sports, like soccer, just to get there is more based on the collective youth program and varsity culture as it is on pure talent and coaching strategies. 

As the former lead sports reporter, I got to know the coaching staffs of both teams, and really respected the way they went about their business — accountability, trust, effort and constant progression. Those are parts of the human element that is most focused on. The kids are held accountable, which means they have to rise up. The kids learn to trust each other, and trust that each teammate will put forth their best effort. That means they will be playing with higher confidence, and the ceiling has been raised for growth. The excitement and challenge then to take that next step, day after day, is much easier to attack than it is for a team that has a lot of turnover in the coaching staff and is used to losing by 4-8 goals a game. 

The culture makes that happen — from youth ball through high school. And this fall, Sugar River proved that culture, built from a strong youth program, is the key for a pair of small neighboring schools to compete with the big dogs.

Congratulations, Raiders. You 100% earned this gold ball, leaving no doubters along the way. 

— Adam Krebs only wishes Manchester United could show Sugar River’s level of defensive prowess, confidence and ability to overcome adversity. Adam can be contacted at editor@themonroetimes.com.