Glenvar boys soccer coach Josh Jones raised one forefinger at Saturday’s trophy presentation.
Then he raised a second finger.
Then, instead of raising a third finger, he simply raised his team’s latest state championship trophy.
Undefeated Glenvar claimed the Class 2 boys soccer state title for the third consecutive year Saturday, scoring two second-half goals to beat Bruton 2-0 in the Class 2 final at Roanoke College’s Kerr Stadium.
“Three’s crazy,” Glenvar senior Jake Williams said. “It’s hard to imagine.
“We’ve been building a real great program here.”
Jones’ jubilant players gathered around him and jumped up and down after Jones was presented the championship trophy.
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Glenvar coach Josh Jones raises the Class 2 boys soccer state championship trophy as his team runs over to him Saturday. Glenvar beat Bruton for its third straight state title.
HEATHER ROUSSEAU, The Roanoke Times
The players then ran over to the stands to show off their newest prize.
“We’ve all been playing together for three or four years now, so I think the game has just slowed down for us,” Williams said. “We just know how to play together real well.”
Williams and teammate Cooper Mullins jumped in the air and chest-bumped at game’s end. Mullins then did the same with goalie Grayson Shepherd.
The team ran over to the stands to borrow three Glenvar flags that the players waved before the trophy ceremony.
Glenvar became the first Class 2 boys soccer team to win three straight state titles since George Mason won four in a row from 2013-16.
“Every single day, we don’t really have a break,” Glenvar junior Adam Saunders said. “We all just enjoy continuing to train over and over.”
Glenvar went 23-0 this season after going 22-0 last year.
Glenvar’s Aidan Hylton (front) celebrates scoring the first goal of the game as teammates Cooper Mullins (from left), Kian Fisher and Levi King rejoice. Hylton scored with 27:39 to go.
HEATHER ROUSSEAU, The Roanoke Times
“Two straight undefeated seasons, it’s crazy,” Glenvar senior Aidan Hylton said. “We get held to a high standard and we make sure we give our best in every game we have. Our coaches push us to be our best and we go out and perform.
“We had to fight complacency all year. … So every time we had a bad game, (Jones) kept making us have a killer instinct.”
But Glenvar did not lose all year. What does Hylton mean by “a bad game?”
“To our standard, we’ve had some bad games,” Hylton said.
Does Shepherd even remember what it feels like to lose a game?
“Not really,” the senior goalie said.
The Highlanders have gone 61 straight games without a loss or a tie. The unbeaten streak began after the team tied Radford in a regular-season game in May 2023. The team has not lost since falling to Salem in April 2023.
“We just don’t lose around here,” Glenvar senior Kian Fisher said.
Glenvar started eight seniors.
“I’m so proud of this group,” Jones said. “To be able to pull off three in a row is just so uncommon and so special.
“To be able to win the last five region championships and five district championships and the last three state titles, it’s a real testament to these guys and how hard they work and how committed they are. Our kids buy into what we’re doing.
“If you step on your field one time in sports and you’re not on, you can get beat. So to be able to step on the field and have two undefeated seasons … says a lot about our focus.”
Glenvar played in the state final Saturday for the fourth straight time. The Panthers (13-8-1) were in the final for the first time in nine years.
Bruton lost to Glenvar in the state semifinals last year.
“They’ve built a great culture there, building up through the middle school,” Bruton coach Luke Taylor said of Glenvar. “They’re able to have that success and win, win, win during the regular season, and it helps give them confidence. It helps when you have the talent they do as well, and the coaching staff.”
After a corner kick, Hylton scored on a header to give Glenvar the lead with 27:39 left in the second half.
“Wesley (Feliciano) laid it up perfect on the back post, right where I was supposed to be, and I put it in,” Hylton said.
Glenvar’s Luke Farmer (left) kicks the ball past Bruton’s Eli Mitchell during Glenvar’s 2-0 win in the Class 2 state title game.
HEATHER ROUSSEAU, The Roanoke Times
Saunders scored to extend the lead with 9:36 remaining.
Shepherd had seven saves for Glenvar.
“Their keeper came up huge after we got through their defense a few times,” Taylor said.
Glenvar recorded its 19th shutout of the year.
“We were just willing (Saturday) to sacrifice … our bodies, to throw ourselves in front of … shots to keep the ball out of our net,” Jones said.