The quest for a state title is on! High school soccer is coming to an end in Florida with just a few teams left in the state vying for a championship. Canterbury High School's boys' soccer team is still alive and is headed to the Final Four.
It's always the goal at the beginning of any season to make it all the way to the end and to secure a trophy. For the Cougars, they're just two wins away from winning it all.
"We've been there so many times already," said Canterbury senior Joshua Wiese. "It's all routine and all tradition. I’m just trying to get my first win there."
Canterbury has climbed to the top of the mountain year after year, making it to the state semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons.
"We're really proud of that," said Canterbury head coach Jared Rust.
The Cougars won the program's most recent state title in 2021, which started a streak of three consecutive state championship game appearances.
"Last year, we had the upset," said Wiese. "I'm just glad to be back at Deland at Stetson, back on the field."
The 2024 squad made it to the regional finals for the fifth straight year, but fell short of making the Final Four. But the change to win the program's third state championship is here again.
"I want to do it mainly for our seniors," said Canterbury sophomore Uriyah Harness. "To make them happy."
This team is big on culture, and they say it's a big reason for their success, currently 16-3-2 on the season.
"We have a lot of passion and connectivity within the group, and I think that's what has pushed us through," said Harness.
"This year has been the most connected that I've been a part of the team and that everyone feels pretty much that's just one big group," said Wiese.
For Coash Rust and his squad, it's not just about the numbers.
"We don't talk a whole lot about results," said Rust. "We focus a lot on our process, on our journey, on what we stand for as a program. And we let the byproduct be the result of standing for what we believe in."
It's about leaving everything they've got out on the pitch.
"I think the best part of winning would just be that they get rewarded for their consistency," he added.
Canterbury faces St. Joseph's Academy in the FHSAA Class 1A state semifinals at Stetson University Deland on Wednesday, February 26 at 10 am.