Daniel Mayes: Local soccer scene drawing well-deserved national attention

Published 9:00 am Saturday, April 16, 2022

Each spring, El Clásico usually draws plenty of interest.

The annual matchups between the state powers of soccer here in our corner of Northwest Georgia, especially Southeast Whitfield High School’s games against Dalton, always draw an electric crowd.

That interest is usually limited to a local crowd, but, at the matchup between those two defending champions last month, a reporter and photographer on assignment from one of the country’s most read newspapers had to come check out the matchup for themselves.

The New York Times released a story Thursday, authored by Joe Drape, which was headlined, ‘The Carpet Capital of the World’ Is Now Soccer Town U.S.A.

It’s a tale of Dalton’s culture. Of how the city’s roots in the carpet industry led to a shift in demographics and helped establish a strong, diverse culture that is now inextricably permeated with “the beautiful game.”

Of how the city’s newest nickname could soon be the one Dalton is known for nationally.

The “Soccertown, USA” moniker was coined last year for a celebration after three Whitfield County teams — Dalton, Southeast and Coahulla Creek — all won state championships in their classification.

While the nickname is new, the strong culture of winning soccer is not.

It’s evident wherever you look, whether it’s the hundreds of kids that can be seen playing soccer on a given night on fields across the city, the near-annual tradition of hoisting state soccer trophies or the references to the sport on the murals around town that Drape made note of in the story.

On night’s like the one Drape was here to see, Harmon Field at Bill Chappell Stadium is just as packed and raucous as it would be for any football game.

Dalton, and the greater surrounding area in Whitfield and Murray counties, have been playing soccer like this for years.

Dalton’s been winning state titles — six of them — since 2003. Every public high school boys soccer team in Whitfield County has won a state championship since 2018 — that’s when Northwest Whitfield, which runs into Southeast in region play each season, last won.

Well, that is, except for The Dalton Academy, but that’s perhaps only because they haven’t had the chance to yet.

The school opened last fall, and the Pumas went 13-2 and won the Region 6-A Public championship in their first season. Dalton Academy is currently gearing up for a Sweet 16 game against Lanier County.

This season proves just how much soccer talent can be found in the area.

There are eight high schools in either Whitfield or Murray that have varsity soccer programs. Of the 16 girls and boys teams between the eight schools, 13 reached the postseason this year — that includes all eight boys programs.

Six were region champions, and two more finished second in the region to another of the local teams.

Nine of those teams won in the first round of the playoffs to move into the second round, with a few with a great shot at deep playoff runs.

Dalton has been Soccertown for a while now.

The nation’s just starting to notice.

Daniel Mayes is the sports editor at the Dalton Daily Citizen. Write to him at danielmayes@dailycitizen.news.