Where does Lee soccer fit on list of all-time greats?
Patrick Hite, Staunton News Leader
Lee High's Thomas Otteni heads a ball during Friday's VHSL Class 2 boys soccer state semifinal win over Giles.(Photo: Patrick Hite/The News Leader)
When the whistle blew Saturday morning in Radford, not only did the game end, but so did an era.
Robert E. Lee High School's state championship in boys soccer Saturday marked the final sporting event to be played under that school's name. Starting July 1, the school will be renamed Staunton High School. Goodbye Fighting Leemen. Hello Storm.
But what a way to go out. The win over George Mason has people asking where this Lee High soccer team belongs in the pantheon of great Lee High athletic teams.
For a school with such tremendous basketball success, is it crazy to argue that this soccer team just completed the most dominant run of any Lee High sports team ever? I don't think it's crazy, although I may not agree,
Just look at the numbers.
This season, Lee finished 24-1, the only loss coming to George Mason 1-0 in the regional championship. Lee avenged that loss in the state championship.
Lee outscored opponents 198-8 this season. There were 10 times in which Lee scored more goals in a single game than it gave up all season. Five more times they matched that number by scoring eight goals in a game.
And Lee beat a team for the state championship that had been almost unbeatable. Mason had won five out of six state championships and seven out of 10. The Mustangs were the standard by which other boys soccer programs in the state were judged.
But this wasn't just a single year of dominance for Lee boys soccer. Last year Lee won 23 matches and finished the year outscoring opponents 180-3. Lee gave up two goals in the postseason, both to Mason in the state semifinal game.
Over two years, Lee outscored opponents 378-11 and lost just twice — both times to George Mason. They also beat George Mason twice and have a regional championship (2018) and a state championship (2019) to show for their work.
I'd say that belongs on the Lee High Mount Rushmore of greatest sports teams ever.
Joining them on my Mount Rushmore would be the Lee High boys basketball teams from 2003-2006 that won 85 games in a row. That team also won a pair of state championships and played for a third. That's a winning streak that will likely never be touched in the Virginia High School League. If you want to say that is the greatest accomplishment in Lee High sports history, I won't argue (and I'd probably agree).
Angela Mickens helped Robert E. Lee win a high school state championship before playing at James Madison University.(Photo: File Photo)
The third team on my Mount Rushmore is the Lee High girls basketball team from 2008-2012. That team, featuring the best girls player in school history, Angela Mickens, lost in the state title game twice and the semifinals once before winning it all in 2012. When they did finally win the Group AA, Division 3 state championship, they did it by beating the defending Division 4 state champs.
Over four years, Lee was 88-18 and won the district regular-season four times. On average, the team won games by almost 30 points in that span.
The final team on the mountain is also a basketball team — let's face it, Lee High was always a basketball school. The 1990 Lee High boys team finished 28-0 and trailed just once in the fourth quarter all season. The 28 wins was a school record and, to this day, fans of the basketball program will tell you the 1990 team was the most dominant in school history. Lee won games in the state tournament by 21, 22 and 17 points. Unlike the other teams on my Mount Rushmore, this was a one-year performance, but, wow, what a year.
Lee High's 1990 boys basketball team, led by Jo Jo Stuart, Reggie Waddy, Keith Scott and head coach Paul Hatcher, won the state title with a 28-0 record.(Photo: File photo/The News Leader)
Patrick Hite, Staunton News Leader
Lee High's Thomas Otteni heads a ball during Friday's VHSL Class 2 boys soccer state semifinal win over Giles.(Photo: Patrick Hite/The News Leader)
When the whistle blew Saturday morning in Radford, not only did the game end, but so did an era.
Robert E. Lee High School's state championship in boys soccer Saturday marked the final sporting event to be played under that school's name. Starting July 1, the school will be renamed Staunton High School. Goodbye Fighting Leemen. Hello Storm.
But what a way to go out. The win over George Mason has people asking where this Lee High soccer team belongs in the pantheon of great Lee High athletic teams.
For a school with such tremendous basketball success, is it crazy to argue that this soccer team just completed the most dominant run of any Lee High sports team ever? I don't think it's crazy, although I may not agree,
Just look at the numbers.
This season, Lee finished 24-1, the only loss coming to George Mason 1-0 in the regional championship. Lee avenged that loss in the state championship.
Lee outscored opponents 198-8 this season. There were 10 times in which Lee scored more goals in a single game than it gave up all season. Five more times they matched that number by scoring eight goals in a game.
And Lee beat a team for the state championship that had been almost unbeatable. Mason had won five out of six state championships and seven out of 10. The Mustangs were the standard by which other boys soccer programs in the state were judged.
But this wasn't just a single year of dominance for Lee boys soccer. Last year Lee won 23 matches and finished the year outscoring opponents 180-3. Lee gave up two goals in the postseason, both to Mason in the state semifinal game.
Over two years, Lee outscored opponents 378-11 and lost just twice — both times to George Mason. They also beat George Mason twice and have a regional championship (2018) and a state championship (2019) to show for their work.
I'd say that belongs on the Lee High Mount Rushmore of greatest sports teams ever.
Joining them on my Mount Rushmore would be the Lee High boys basketball teams from 2003-2006 that won 85 games in a row. That team also won a pair of state championships and played for a third. That's a winning streak that will likely never be touched in the Virginia High School League. If you want to say that is the greatest accomplishment in Lee High sports history, I won't argue (and I'd probably agree).
Angela Mickens helped Robert E. Lee win a high school state championship before playing at James Madison University.(Photo: File Photo)
The third team on my Mount Rushmore is the Lee High girls basketball team from 2008-2012. That team, featuring the best girls player in school history, Angela Mickens, lost in the state title game twice and the semifinals once before winning it all in 2012. When they did finally win the Group AA, Division 3 state championship, they did it by beating the defending Division 4 state champs.
Over four years, Lee was 88-18 and won the district regular-season four times. On average, the team won games by almost 30 points in that span.
The final team on the mountain is also a basketball team — let's face it, Lee High was always a basketball school. The 1990 Lee High boys team finished 28-0 and trailed just once in the fourth quarter all season. The 28 wins was a school record and, to this day, fans of the basketball program will tell you the 1990 team was the most dominant in school history. Lee won games in the state tournament by 21, 22 and 17 points. Unlike the other teams on my Mount Rushmore, this was a one-year performance, but, wow, what a year.
Lee High's 1990 boys basketball team, led by Jo Jo Stuart, Reggie Waddy, Keith Scott and head coach Paul Hatcher, won the state title with a 28-0 record.(Photo: File photo/The News Leader)
