AFC Columbia opens up its 5th season in the Midwest Premier League against a league newcomer. They face Great Plains FC in the season opener on May 9. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and the game will be held at Maranatha Christian Academy in Shawnee, KS.
Great Plains FC, formerly known as Olathe United FC played in the Select League last year. They had quite a successful season, going 17-0-1 throughout the season and capturing a league title. They also won the Kansas State Cup last season, which is awarded to the top amatuer team in the state.
The upcoming season opener marks the first Midwest Premier League game in history for Great Plains FC.
Head Coach Chris Miller has the team ready for their first bout of the season.
“The boys are excited to play and continue to focus on getting better at the things we value,” Miller said. “The environment has been highly competitive and they enjoy pushing themselves. I’m sure they’re stoked to see how they stack up against quality competition.”
Following the conclusion of the spring season, the team feels more prepared than ever for the start of the regular season.
“The Spring season provided us a solid opportunity to see a lot of players and get them introduced to the coaching staff and each other,” Miller said.
The standard for this season has been set, and the increased preparation time has allowed for the coaches and players to be on the same page for the start of the year.
Amid the MWPL expansion and divisional shakeup, the league looks quite different this year as opposed to last.
“It’s an entirely new set of opponents and we’ve had an entirely different approach to what we’ve done in previous years,” explained AFC Executive Director Dakota Acock. “The spring season has been a good launching pad to focus on the basic principles.”