Special to The Tribune-
After losing in the state championship game a year ago, the Cahaba Springs Under-16 soccer squad had something to prove. The Thunder put together a stingy defense along with plenty of offensive firepower to cruise to the championship of the Alabama Olympic Games this June.
CSSC outscored their three opponents 11-2 and closed with a 
4-2 win over Alabama United in the gold medal game .
4-2 win over Alabama United in the gold medal game .“When you play defense like our guys did, it made my job easy,” said goalkeeper Ryne Mills. “This was huge for me because I just joined the club and my first appearance was the Alabama Olympics.”
Mills along with fellow Pinson Valley defenders Adan Martinez and Logan Hames, plus Clay’s Jacob Phillips, Hewitt’s Dalton Smith and John Carroll’s Jarrod Stisher had two shutouts in three games.
In the championship game, the Thunder got huge goals from Tyler Sumpter and Peyton Cornett, off a pair of Jeff Murray corner kicks
. Later, Hewitt’s Issac Searcy knocked in another goal to help lead CSSC to the title.
. Later, Hewitt’s Issac Searcy knocked in another goal to help lead CSSC to the title.
“I remember the feeling last year,” said Murray. “We were the best team in 2011 and things didn’t bounce our way. “This year, we were all motivated to not let this chance slip away.”
Cahaba Springs has participated in the Alabama Olympics for the past four years, and finished fifth in both 2009 and 2010, before a runner-up spot in 2011, and the championship this summer.
