They couldn't always practice at home this summer. Wildfire smoke hanging over the Madras area for weeks pushed the team to train wherever the air was clear enough. But when Mad City FC's U13/U14 boys squad arrived at the Mt. Hood Challenge in Portland on August 7, none of that showed.
By the end of the three-day tournament on August 9, the team had gone undefeated, outscored every opponent, and hadn't allowed a single goal — bringing home the championship from Oregon's largest sanctioned youth soccer tournament.
A Dominant Weekend
The U13/U14 squad's performance at the Mt. Hood Challenge was as complete as it gets. The team was sharp on both sides of the ball from the opening match through the championship game, combining opportunistic finishing with lockdown defending. Not one opponent managed to put the ball in the net.
Coach Marco Correa said he could sense the team's focus even before they got to Portland — particularly after a narrow miss at a previous tournament.
"The boys showed up to play after not being able to win the Bend Premier Cup a few weeks ago," Correa said. "I could tell they were going to focus and bring the first-place medal home, and that's exactly what they did."
Correa reflected on what the championship means beyond the trophy, especially given the obstacles the team navigated this summer.
"Even with all the smoke in the area and having to travel outside of Madras to train, the team showed that hard work pays off. I am truly proud of each one of these boys as they continue to show that the future of Madras soccer is on the right track."
U9 Squad Makes Finals
The younger Mad City FC U9 boys team also had an outstanding tournament, advancing all the way to the championship game after winning every match in pool play. They fell 3-2 in a hard-fought final, finishing as runners-up in their division.
Coach Imer Gutierrez was proud of how his young players represented the community.
"They competed with confidence, worked for one another, and showed tremendous heart from the first whistle to the last," Gutierrez said. "More important than the result was the way these young players represented Madras."
A Club on the Rise
The Mt. Hood Challenge results cap a summer of growth for Mad City FC, which has been steadily developing youth soccer talent in Madras and the surrounding area. Three of the club's teams made the trip to Portland for the tournament, reflecting the club's expanding reach and competitive ambition.
For a community that has spent much of this summer under evacuation alerts, wildfire smoke, and the weight of a hard drought season, the championship brings a much-needed bright spot — proof that Madras kids are competing and winning at the highest levels of Oregon youth soccer.