Chapin’s girls soccer team has stood on the doorstep of a state championship the past two seasons, only to see it slip away at the final hurdle. Despite this, the team kept its faith.

The Eagles finally broke through and earned the title trophy that had eluded them. Chapin defeated Eastside 4-0 in last weekend’s 5A Division II championship game to claim the program’s first title since 2016.

“Our word is faith,” Eagles head coach Chad Bridges said. “It is interesting, 10 years ago at Irmo we played, we won, and here we are again.”

After losing in the 2024 and 2025 title games, Chapin was forced to wait a bit longer for redemption due to a rain delay at Columbia’s Memorial Stadium. While it was a long break, the end result was worth it to Bridges.

“To get here is good. It shows where our program is,” he said. “But to win it, it kind of gets you over that hill.”

When the action finally got started, Chapin wasted no time in getting ahead.

Senior captain Sydney Stoner scored the game’s first goal, deflecting a corner kick into the net about 15 minutes in. A few minutes later, her sister, Avery Stoner, increased the lead with a goal in the 18th minute. 

“We have faith in Christ, our fans have faith in us and we have faith in each other,” Avery said. “We showed our faith in each other and we buried them in the net.”

Avery increased the Eagles’ lead to 3-0 early in the second half.

Attacking downfield, the ball flew in front of Avery a little over 30 yards from the net. Instead of bringing it down and controlling it, Avery fired a shot with her off foot. The ball flew toward the goal, slid right over the Eastside goalie’s stretched out arms and landed in the net.

“My right leg hurt, so I just shot it with my left,” Avery said. “I definitely think it took a lot out of them. When you go up more, it’s hard for them to come back.”

No comeback was on the table for Eastside. Chapin prevented its opponent from getting any clean looks at the net and extended its lead one more time in the 56th minute thanks to a goal from Liz Kujawa.

As the final minutes ticked away, the excitement on the Chapin sideline was building.

For many of the players, this was a culmination of years of hard work, heartbreak and adversity. The previous losses were in the past. Now, nobody could say they were a better team.

When the final buzzer blared out, the team rushed the field as players were overcome with teary-eyed joy. Bridges took time to embrace his fellow coaches, family and administration who have been by the team’s side through it all.

“They say, run the town, run the region. Well, for this year, we will run the state,” Bridges said.

Chapin ends the 2026 season (19-3) overall. The team won each of its final 14 games, including the championship.

While it was this year’s squad that got the job done, Bridges said this win was dedicated to the girls from all three teams that created the program’s current foundation.

“I am glad these girls get to see the other side,” he said. “This has been a three-year run trying to play for the girls who graduated. I am so thankful we got back here and got the gold medal, not the silver. It is very satisfying.”