Blue Ridge team's unbeaten streak reaches 54 games

September 4, 2012 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


 

There’s another football power at Blue Ridge High School.

The school’s boys soccer program isn’t as well-known as the school’s successful football program, but that hasn’t kept Blue Ridge soccer from posting a 54-game unbeaten streak. The streak started three years ago for the three-time state defending small school fall champ.

The only blemish in Blue Ridge’s unbeaten streak is the tie it collected during a regular season tournament match three years ago, but Blue Ridge has won its previous 51 matches outright. Arizona’s small soccer schools play during the fall and the big schools in the winter.

Going unnoticed during the fall doesn’t bother Blue Ridge soccer coach Bryon Crain.

“The football program makes a lot of money and it pays for us to go to the tournaments,” Crain said. “Plus the community supports us.”

Keeping the streak alive isn’t the No. 1 priority for Crain.

“I don’t care about it (the streak) as much as I do building relationships,” he said. “That’s what’s important for me. I also believe in six things: good attitude. Hard work. Commitment. Having confidence but never arrogance. Having fun. And always competing.”

Blue Ridge is off to a 5-0 start this season and will attempt to win another title with the help of 11 returning players.

The father of Blue Ridge’s soccer program is Richard Breckenridge, who went 6-0 in state title games. Blue Ridge’s unbeaten streak started during Breckenridge’s final season as head coach.

“I actually don’t talk about (the streak) to the players at all,” Crain said. “We try to take it one game at a time. Last year the kids felt a bit of pressure.”

Traditions

Blue Ridge’s soccer program also is known for its battle cry.

Below is what the team chants before its games.

Say hey Blue Ridge what’s your battle call:

United we stand, divided we fall.

Together we can be what we can’t be alone.

We came to this field to make it our own.

(The team ends its battle call with a motto it picks annually. The motto for this year’s Blue Ridge team: believe.)