(PHOENIX) For Head Coach Devon Dickinson, the goal is always the same: to win a state title. He speaks it over his teams, he mentions it in coaches' meetings, and he's quoted saying it every year in season previews. The goal never changes. The end-result though, had been tricky. Until Saturday, that is, when Dickinson's childhood vision came to fruition as an elated and exhausted Gilbert Christian squad hoisted its freshly minted 2025 AIA 3A Boys Soccer State Championship trophy at midfield, following a 2-1 victory over Yuma Catholic. 
 
Dickinson, for his part, dropped to his knees on the sideline as the final buzzer sounded, in prayer, or relief, or a mix of both, as his triumphant team rushed across the field to begin its ecstatic celebration. 
 
"As I child I grew up in a small Midwest town, similar to the movie Hoosiers where the town revolved around high school sports," Dickinson said. "My parents were high school sweethearts. My dad played football, and my mom became a teacher. My parents would take me to games and I remember staring at the state championship banners in the gym, and dreaming of hanging one, someday. That dream has finally been fulfilled, and let me tell you, it feels pretty darn good. As rewarding as it was to accomplish this feat, what is more rewarding, and eternally lasting, is seeing what the Lord did this season- how He moved in all of our hearts individually, and collectively, this year. The day before this game, our guys organized a prayer group, and every player brought a verse that was personal to them, to share. So, while the trophy and banner are certainly incredible, they are objects that will eventually gather dust and fray, but what happened between our hearts and Christ- that will echo through eternity." 
 
It has been a special season for the Knights, from start to finish. The team went unbeaten in AIA sanctioned games, rattling off 16-straight wins en route to a 3A Metro Region Title, and the 3A Conference Championship. The year was not without adversity, as Gilbert Christian overcame injury, late deficits, and survived state play-off games by the slightest of margins to earn its spot in the Arizona high school soccer history books. 
 
Saturday was no different, as GCHS found itself trailing 0-1 following an early goal from the Shamrocks' Sahid Verdugo.  
 
The year prior, in the championship game, the Knights had been in Yuma Catholic's shoes, leading 2024 Champion Pusch Ridge 1-0 through 40 minutes of play, before giving up back-to-back goals, and the title, to the Lions. The defeat was a hard-learned lesson which had haunted Gilbert Christian, but would also aid the Knights' mentality in what came next.
 
There was no panic. GCHS simply kept pushing. With five minutes remaining in the first, Noah Cooper struck, executing a perfect give-and-go with freshman Kai Lundberg. Cooper passed backward to Lundberg, who one-touched a lob from the 50-yard line right back to a sprinting Cooper, who got possession, split a pair of Shamrocks' defenders, drew out the YC keeper, and blasted the ball across the field into the wide open net. 
 
Tied 1-1 at the break, Dickinson reiterated the goal. He reminded his team of something that Cooper had said after 2024's heartbreak: that they alone got to define what they were known for. And then Dickinson said, that they had 40 more minutes to play whistle-to-whistle.
 
It took 34 minutes and three seconds of competing whistle-to-whistle, before the mindset paid off. With just under six to play, senior Caleb Barnett set the ball down on the field's far right corner, raised his arms, and sent a dangerous ball floating into the box. So treacherous was the kick, that the Shamrocks' keeper emerged to stop it, leaping and getting both gloves on the ball before bobbling it to the foot of Kai Lundberg.
 
To Knights' fans, it was no surprise what happened in the ensuing moments. Afterall, 5 minutes 57 seconds was 5 minutes 51 seconds longer than Mr. Clutch, Kai Lundberg needed. So, with plenty of time on the clock, Lundberg went hero-mode, popping in what would be another game winner.
 
"We didn't always play pretty, or perfect soccer," Dickinson said. "But by golly, we worked whistle-to-whistle, and I never had to question anyone's work ethic, or if they were up for the battle. These boys are pretty special, and I'd say we have reached our goals."
 
Soccer is mostly about goals, after all.