The 13-U Arsenal wrapped up the Troy Recreation Department Tuesday night by clinching a league championship.

The Arsenal came in to the match at 7-1 and had scored 35 goals while only giving up seven.

Coaches Doug McLendon and Jay Wilson both agreed that winning a league championship is something special for the kids. “It’s very rewarding to see all the work that the kids put in crystallize on the field,” McLendon said. “We’ve been working on a lot of things in practice, passing and intangibles. We tell them to never give up. They have developed into a great team.”

“It’s great for the kids,” Wilson said. “It’s very special. It’s something that they can talk about for a long time. Maybe they’ll even talk about it with their own kids one day.”

Both McLendon and Wilson have coached numerous, but, coaching this particular bunch, they said, has been special. “This is a very good passing team,” McLendon said. “They are so young, but they understand the concept of keeping shape on the field. They don’t swarm together.”

“To be so young, they have a great knowledge of the game,” Wilson said.

McLendon also spoke on the diversity of the team. “This is a very diverse group,” McLendon said. “Communicating can be a challenge, but soccer is a common language that they all understand.”

Wilson said his favorite part about coaching the team has been interacting with the players. “There are a lot of personalities on this team,” Wilson said. “They have been an easy group to work with, and they have a lot of fun playing. It’s just fun to be out here with the kids and see them do something they enjoy. The earned the championship.”