Madison Young left the Class 4A state championship loss in 2020 with a bitter feeling.
The Cardinal Gibbons senior told Chiefs coach Margo Flack that wouldn’t happen again. Young helped will Cardinal Gibbons (12-2-1) to its first-ever girls state soccer championship with a 2-0 win over Panama City Arnold in the final at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
“We started off the year kind of rough and lost two games [Pembroke Pines Charter, Cypress Bay by 1-0 scores] and people were asking, ‘are you guys even good this year?” said Young, a University of Florida signee. “I told them yes we are really good and we are going all the way. When we got to the playoffs, we got in the grove.”
Young, who missed her sophomore year due to a knee injury, said beating rival American Heritage twice in the postseason gave the Chiefs even more confidence. She said the win over the Patriots was stressful and would have been the best feeling she’s ever had following a match, except for hoisting the school’s first state championship trophy.
“When we got to states, there was no doubt,” she added. “It is awesome that we are the first girls’ soccer team at Gibbons to win a state title and it is my senior year. I am happy to leave a mark. Getting a [state championship] banner is really cool. I am happy to be leaving high school with something.”
Cardinal Gibbons coach Margo Flack said Young was what the team needed as far as her composure and her approach. Despite only one goal scored, Young contributed far more to the nation’s No. 3-ranked team by MaxPreps.
“Maddie was the nucleus of our backline, but she was the calming effect of our team,” Flack said. “Knowing that she was back there, gave everybody comfort and she wasn’t scared to attack out of there also. She is such a skilled player and having her on the field with the ball on her feet changed the momentum.
“She did it with a smile on her face the entire time,” Flack said. “Everyone thrived off of that, especially during the entire ride. That’s what got us through all of those tough games.”
