Eighteen of the top U-17 boys soccer teams in the nation competed in the Adidas IV showcase in conjunction with the NCAA Men's Final Four in Charlotte, N.C.

The teams, invited by Adidas, included the current national champions, three other region champions, and Fayette's own state champions, the Lightning 83 Gold.

The 83 Gold team, coached by technical director David Chadwick and assistant Kevin Dumas, won one and lost two in the competition. More importantly, the team was able to showcase its talent for numerous college coaches around the country.

Their first game against Oakwood SC (Connecticut state champions) was tied 0-0 at the half. Oakwood scored a late goal against the flow of play in the second half to win 1-0. The second game was similar to the first game. The Lightning lost 2-1 after pounding on the Richmond Striker goal and simply running out of time.

By the third game, Lightning were getting used to the different substitution patterns used in a showcase format, and their three excellent guest players: Blake Camp from RYSA, Gordon Eli Kelso from Athens, and Charlie Roberts from GSA.

The boys finally put it all together and played up to the “Lightning standard.” The team dominated the San Juan Lightning (California North state champions, and Region IV finalists) from the opening whistle and went on to win 4-1.

In addition to the three games, the team received front row tickets to both NCAA semi-final games and the championship game, all at Ericsson Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. The players also participated in an Adidas soccer forum which discussed college life, and was followed by a Q and A session with Eddie Pope and Jeff Agoos of DC United.

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