Soccer has arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee! Well, sort of. High school soccer programs and the University of Tennessee’s women’s soccer team have shown lots of success in the sport throughout the years. That success and interest was evidence enough that a professional soccer team could thrive in Knoxville. In 2021, One Knoxville Sporting Club (One Knox) announced itself to the world. In 2022, they announced themselves to USL League Two by winning the South Central Division and making the playoffs in their inaugural season. One Knox won 11 of their 14 regular season matches, but the most important of them all was on June 21st.
The Smoky Mountain Series
One Knox may have been a new club, but a rivalry between the Tennessee club and Asheville City SC quickly erupted in what would become known as the Smoky Mountain series – a two-leg tie between the two clubs. In the first match of the season, Asheville City SC traveled to Knoxville, where One Knox would be playing their first USL League Two match. Asheville City won the match 2-1 on a late goal in the 88th minute. Tension between fans of the two clubs was high across social media, and both eagerly awaited the rematch.
From there, both Appalachian-based teams would go on a tear. One Knox secured 22 of 24 available points in the lead up to the rematch, while Asheville City earned 20 of 24 points and remained undefeated. One Knox got their rematch with top of the table on the line, as well as a newly crafted trophy created by Alex Magnuson.
The Man Behind The Boot
Magnuson is a third-year college soccer player at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in nearby Johnson City, Tennessee, and a native of Knoxville where he played at Knoxville West High School.
When photos of the trophy began to pop up on One Knoxville’s social media, I was immediately interested in this golden hiking boot trophy. There weren’t many details shared about its creation initially, but the golden hiking boot was a great choice for this new Smoky Mountain rivalry. After receiving many questions about its origin, One Knox shared that Magnuson was the creator.
Magnuson is not only a skilled soccer player, but also a talented artist. He began working with metal late in his junior year of high school as a way to save money, but it soon became a passion. He eventually began to work on more art and 3D sculpturing.
Anyone who has traveled to the area knows the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, so what better way to hone the budding rivalry between the two Appalachian clubs than a golden hiking boot trophy? For soccer fans, a golden boot would typically refer to a trophy given to the leading gold scorer in the league at the end of the season. However, this new golden hiking boot trophy would represent a region, not an individual.
Magnuson wanted to be a part of his new local club One Knoxville, so he reached out to One Knox to offer his metal working skills. Though he wasn’t able to try out for the team, he wanted to contribute to the team in any way possible. Co-owner Drew McKenna had the idea for the golden hiking boot – a way to represent their home and bridge the gap across the mountains with nearby neighbor Asheville.
The rematch took place on June 21st at Asheville City’s Memorial Park. One Knox entered into an unfriendly atmosphere both on and off the pitch. With few chances between them, the teams went into halftime scoreless. One Knox ultimately won the game 3-1 which allowed them to jump Asheville City in the standings, and secured the newly coveted golden hiking boot trophy. The trophy returned to where it was created, Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Playoff Run
With the massive victory behind them, One Knox set their focus to finishing the season strong. They made the USL League 2 playoffs as a 4-seed in the Southern Conference. After winning their first two matches in the playoffs, One Knox is now set to play North Carolina Fusion in the Southern Conference Championship game on July 29th in Knoxville. This match gives them a chance to win yet another trophy and secure a place in the final four of the playoffs. With more glory on the line, One Knox is anxiously preparing to continue their impressive inaugural season.
More Than A Trophy
Regardless of what happens, One Knox will be proud of securing the first ever trophy in their newly minted rivalry. A trophy made even more special because it was crafted by a local soccer player and community member.
While it was important to get the win over Asheville City, the trophy stands for so much more than just beating one team. Magnuson stated, “It’s a symbol of the importance of soccer in the community, as well as a material object and attainable goal that players and fans can look toward to.”
Having a professional soccer team in Knoxville and the growing community around the team has been a highlight for Magnuson. “I absolutely love having a team that competes at a higher level in my hometown. It means so much to the community, as well as soccer in general becoming better and more loved.”
If you are interested in seeing more of Magnuson’s work or commissioning him for a project, please reach out to him on Instagram @magnuson_art.
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Good to see another dude in this local soccer space, Tyler. Hope to catch you this playoff weekend. Alex truly did knock it out of the park with the trophy -- I got to ride with it on the way to Asheville while paint fumes were still coming off and even the nausea didn't stop me from appreciating it.
Awesome reporting! What a great story! Even if it must end against the Fusion lol