U12 Boys Callaway Team takes Bronze at 2010 Kohl's State Cup
in Gulfport, MS

The Calloway Orthodontics Big Blue U12 boys soccer team completed their soccer season with a tough-fought semi-final loss at the Kohl’s Cup in Gulfport MS.  The Kohl’s Cup is the Mississippi state soccer championship tournament for recreation soccer teams.  The Mississippi Soccer Association is comprised of four divisions, and each division sends their top four qualifying teams to participate in the Kohl’s Cup tournament.  The Big Blue entered the tournament as the number four seeded team from the Northern Division.

The Big Blue began the tournament by defeating the Central Division’s number one seeded team, the Pearl Arsenal, by a score of 4-1.  Dalton Dempsey began the scoring with a well-placed shot to the corner of the net, and mid-fielders Rene Effenberger, Jake Milsna, and Will Christiansen each followed with goals. 

In their second game of the tournament, the Big Blue defeated a very tough Greenwood United team, the number two seeded team from the Western Division, by a score of 3-2.  Goals were scored by Effenberger and Christiansen. 

The Big Blue dominated their third match of the tournament against the Southern Division’s number three seeded team, the Biloxi Bluerays, by a score of 6-0.  Goals were scored by Effenberger, Christiansen, Dempsey, and Grant Wolfe.

With their third victory, the Big Blue advanced out of bracket play to the semi-finals of the tournament where they were matched against their arch-rival, the Tupelo Terminex.  The Big Blue struck first on an electrifying shot from Effenberger early in the first quarter of play;

however, the Terminex scored twice in the second quarter to take a 2-1 lead at halftime.  The Terminex scored again late in the third quarter, and they held on to win the tough-fought match by a final score of 3-1. 

The Big Blue was anchored by the stingiest defense in the entire tournament.  Big Blue keeper, Caleb Golson, played outstanding throughout, allowing only 3 goals in bracket play prior to the semi-final loss.  Fullbacks Grant Wolfe, Wyatt Allen, Drew Jackson, Dalton Dempsey, and Porter Miles consistently blanketed their opponents’ offensive attacks, and the offensive play of Rene Effenberger, Aaren LaFrance, Will Christiansen, and Jake Milsna was outstanding.   The Big Blue was coached by John Jackson and Dwight Dempsey.  Unable to attend the tournament was Bradley Curtis, Jonathan Brandon, and Nathan Smith.   

Coach Jackson stated, “The loss to Tupelo was really tough on my boys.  I thought we were the better team, but the high winds played havoc and the ball just didn’t bounce our way.  Let me just say, however, that I couldn’t be more proud of a group of young men.  They represented the other teams within our organization, the city of Starkville, their families, their coaches, and most importantly themselves in a first-class manner.  They played every game as hard as they could, and, as a coach, that’s all you can ask.  We entered the tournament as the lowest seeded team from our division, and we turned a few heads by advancing all the way to the semi-finals of the state tournament.  Yeah…I think we could’ve won the whole thing, but number three out of dozens and dozens of teams throughout the state isn’t too bad.“