HUNTINGTON — For the players on the 1997 U-12 Rowdies, lighting the caldron for the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships served as a blast from the past, dating back to when they were all kids having fun through sports while becoming West Virginia’s first and only Region I champ.

Players and parents shared stories of the road trips while reminiscing about the accomplishments in Erie, Pa., with smiles, but just as many comments were about a trip to Niagara Falls that proved just as important to their 1997 victory.

As 11-year-olds in 1996, the Rowdies played in the U-12 division as a wild card, giving them valuable experience that proved beneficial the next year.

It was an example of the work and dedication that it takes to be called a region champion.

“When we won, we went the year before as a younger team and probably lost every game by five goals,” head coach Ossie Taylor said. “It is going to take a lot of sacrifice and that type of commitment to win.”

It was one of many sacrifices that the U-12 Rowdies made in their run to the crown. Things at that time certainly weren’t like the present-day soccer in the Huntington area where kids now have 22 state-of-the-art fields to play or practice on.

“We didn’t have a field,” Taylor recollected. “We practiced wherever possible — the park, here (Joan C. Edwards Stadium), out by the train tracks (CSX Field).”

While the team might not have had a field, there were a lot of areas in which the team could not be touched. Team members said that those are the qualities that will need to be duplicated for West Virginia to be home to another Region I champ.

And it goes well beyond skill level.

“A lot of people say that you have to be the best team, but honestly, we weren’t the best team,” former team member Karim Boukhemis said. “We had a lot of heart and wanted it the most.

Ultimately, if you really want it the most, it’s possible. I believe that sooner or later, one of these teams will do it. Hopefully, it will be very soon.”

Patrick Lavery, whose mother Moppy spearheaded the effort to get the entire team back together, was the first torch runner during Thursday’s ceremony and said that the community involvement is pivotal for the success of future West Virginia teams.

Lavery and his former teammates gazed in awe at the opening ceremonies of the tournament — a tournament which no one ever thought would be hosted in the state.

“The time and effort that a lot of people have put into building fields and getting people more involved with soccer will help,” Lavery said. “We worked really hard to get there. It’s a tribute to what we were able to accomplish.”

The 1997 U-12 Rowdies team helped pave the way for future soccer teams in West Virginia by inspiring kids to get out and play soccer.

This year’s West Virginia state champions have taken notice of the accomplishments of the 1997 team and labeled them as a model for their soccer generation.

Now with the tournament on home soil, those players are hoping to join the U-12 Rowdies as West Virginia state champions and earn the honor of carrying the torch into next year’s championships.

“With my family and friends coming out to watch, I want to defend my turf,” said Erik Bjonsson, a forward for the Charleston FC Elite and former Huntington High player. “It’s going to take 110 percent every game, solid transition defense and for us to finish our chances. That’s going to be the deciding factors.”

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Chris Jackson/The Herald-Dispatch

Opening ceremonies for the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships are held Thursday, July 2, 2009, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

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