It was the kind of victory that had the players cheering, and the coach’s eyes tearing.
Mount Forest and District Soccer Club hosted its annual Under-10 playoff tournament on the weekend, and emerging as the unlikely champion was the green and gold of T.D. Smith.
The U10 ranks were rife with parity this summer, as Padfield Nelson Insurance and New Life Mills topped the regular season ranks, with Royal LePage, Grass Roots Beef, SMRS Construction and T.D. Smith all hovering near the top of the standings.
McPhails of Harriston opened the weekend playoff tournament with a 4-1 win over Mount Forest Optimist, and carried that momentum all the way to a consolation championship on Sunday afternoon, with a 2-1  nailbiter over SMRS.
Padfield-Nelson started their weekend with a tight 3-2 ride over New Life Mills, and SMRS edged Grass Roots 4-3.
On the consolation side, JJ Sills nipped New Life 1-0 and defeated Mount Forest Optimist 3-1 before being stopped 3-1 by SMRS. New Life topped Young’s Home Hardware 4-1. Grass Roots doubled Padfield Nelson 4-2 and silenced Harriston Motors 5-0 before McPhails stopped them 4-2.
In championship round play, McPhails defeated Harriston Motors 4-1, but were stopped 3-1 by T.D. Smith, who doubled Padfield Nelson 4-2 en route to the final game. SMRS?surprised Young’s 8-2, and Royal LePage inched past JJ?Sills 1-0 and then won 2-1 over SMRS.
With only brief sputters of rain to slow the proceedings on Saturday and Sunday, the final games were close and competitive, and served as an excellent wrap-up to the U10 soccer season for 2010.