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51 THE WASHINGTON RUSH BOYS 2001 TEAM CAPTURED THEIR FIRST STATE TITLE! THIS IS THE STORY OF THAT TITLE RUN THROUGH THE PERSPECTIVE OF A LONG TIME RUSH PLAYER JAXON BAKER. Head coach Andy Machin knew he had a special team leading up to the Washington State Championship Cup. They had a great run in the fall league, won it, got promoted to Division 1 and weren't looking back. They had one goal in sight, capture the crown! Throughout the tourna- ment they went undefeated and posted four shutouts en route to capturing their first State Cup Title in an overtime win that ended 3-2. For one player in particular, this was an experience he will never forget. Starting centerback, Jaxon Baker helped lead the backline. "Not one person felt like they weren't contributing. It seemed like the perfect chemistry." Jaxon grew up playing soccer and first joined Rush as a third grader nearly eight years ago. He loved soccer and he attributes the Rush community for his continued success in the game. At times, however, it didn't always seem that way. He was put on the B team for three consecutive years before becoming a mainstay at the U14 and U15 age groups. "There were some moments I felt like I should Head coach Andy Machin knew he had a special team leading up to the Washington State Championship Cup. They had a great run in the fall league, won it, got promoted to Division 1 and weren't looking back. They had one goal in sight, capture the crown! Throughout the tournament they went unde- feated and posted four shutouts en route to capturing their first State Cup Title in an overtime win that ended 3-2. For one player in particular, this was an experience he will never forget. Starting centerback, Jaxon Baker helped lead the backline. "Not one RUSH PLAYER SHOWS THAT PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF! person felt like they weren't contributing. It seemed like the perfect chemistry." Jaxon grew up playing soccer and first joined Rush as a third grader nearly eight years ago. He loved soccer and he attributes the Rush community for his continued success in the game. At times, however, it didn't always seem that way. He was put on the B team for three consecutive years before becoming a mainstay at the U14 and U15 age groups. "There were some moments I felt like I should have been on the A team when I was younger, but realize now, all opportunities were there to allow me to get better at the game. It showed me that I had to work harder than players around me to make myself better. Nothing is free...You have to earn it!" Jaxon has continued to keep that attitude throughout his development in the game. He was so happy to share this moment with his Rush teammates and coach. "The final whistle of the game was a relief! 110 minutes of play, emotional and physical exhaustion had set in, and it was all worth it!" Jaxon expressed. Washington Rush