To illustrate how far the sport of soccer has come in the high school acumen of South Carolina, the 23rd
NIKE Palmetto Cup was a perfect "showcase" as four teams competing in the tournament were led by products of Brookland-Cayce High School:
Coach:Kevin Heise, Brookland-Cayce (1989)
Will Eudy, Cardinal Newman (1995)
Paul Hilderbrand, Byrnes (2002)
Andrew Richardson, Heathwood Hall (2008)
This list does not include the numerous high school or club coaches and certainly not the players that have gone on to play or coach at the collegiate or professional levels, or those involved in officiating our "Beautiful Game". Needless to say to many "long timers" of Palmetto State prep soccer, but the fact that the Cayce-West Columbia community has produced so many influential soccer alumni in the game today is a 180-degree turn of what would have been contrived in 1980, 1990, or even 2000.
The
NIKE Palmetto Cup has long served as a beacon for top-notch boys soccer programs nationally - and, now, intercontinental! If your team is interested in the 2016 tournament, the dates are
March 30 - April 2, with Easter Sunday falling on March 27.
