When the summer of 2018 was winding down, Kevin Schultz and Dave Montgomery were wanting to get their girls on the soccer field sooner than the first organized practice.
At the time, Schultz was the head coach at Tenino High School and Montgomery was his assistant. They were ready to embark on a journey with a senior-laden group.
“We wanted to play a lot during the summer,” Montgomery, now Tenino’s head coach, recalled. “You look at some of the other sports during the summer. Why not us?”
Coupled with one of the most unique fields in Thurston County, the Battle on the Blacktop was born and it returns for its sixth time starting on Friday night and culminating in the championship match on Sunday evening.
Of the area contingent participating, W.F. West will have two teams while Centralia, Rochester, Adna and the host Beavers all have one team. Shelton and North Mason are the other squads making up the field.
The eight teams will be separated into two pools of four. Using the traditional soccer point system for the standings, three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The top two teams in each pool will play for first place.
Matches will be two 30-minute halves with a five-minute halftime intermission. If the weather calls for it, water breaks will also be in place.
“With there only being a three-to-four week gap between the summer activities and our first practice, we want to stay sharp and be ready when the season comes along,” Montgomery said.
Six years ago, there were just three teams in the event. It has now blossomed into eight teams and could reach double digits in the near future.
Montgomery noted he was “a little bummed” a couple teams dropped out this year.
“I think it would take us getting a few more teams from the north,” he added. “We might try to grow it. Who knows, it would be really cool to do that.”
Of the five contested years – 2020 COVID-19 pandemic prevented a continuous run of six straight – Tenino won in 2018 and 2021 while W.F. West has claimed it three times, including the last two.
Two years ago, the Bearcats and Centralia met in the finals in a pre-Swamp Cup match. W.F. West ended up on the winning side of it, but that contest got the wheels in motion for tournament awards.
Close to 200 people in the stands, you almost didn’t realize it was a summer scrimmage,” Montgomery said. “After that, I was thinking ‘There's no trophy to give out?’ It felt like there should be something at the end.”
For the second consecutive summer, individual awards such as Golden Boot (top goal scorer), Playmaker (most assists or best midfielder), Defensive MVP and the overall Tournament MVP. It will be voted on by match referees.
This year, the tournament also happens to line up on the same weekend as Tenino’s Oregon Trail Days Parade. Saturday’s competition will have a break after the 9:30 a.m. contest for players, coaches and spectators to join the festivities.
Matches will resume at noon.
Montgomery has seen first-hand what the tournament has done for area teams to get the chance to gel early and develop chemistry. Since it is during the summer months, it does not count as a jamboree.
I honestly was kind of smiling these last two summers and seeing all the teams come out, families out to watch,” Montgomery said. “I love it, I'm happy we get to be the school that hosts and everyone gets to play on our black top.
“We genuinely enjoy hosting the tournament.”
