“Play Local”: Piedmont Soccer Club impresses with second-place tournament finish
Published 1:00 am Saturday, April 18, 2026
The Piedmont Soccer Club Scorpions are already making waves in North Carolina youth soccer with a second-place finish in their first tournament ever.
Less than a year after Daniel Matangira, a former professional soccer player in Zimbabwe, helped found the club, the group fielded a team of 16 and under boys for the North Carolina Rush Triad Beat the Heat tournament.
“I played before. Now I’m getting to relive my life again vicariously through the kids. I’m realizing that while my heydays are gone, I still have a lot to give to the community that’s been so good to me,” Matangira said.
For all the children on the team, this was their first competitive club soccer tournament. The Piedmont Soccer Club has given many local children the opportunity to play at an affordable rate compared to typical soccer clubs.
The club has drawn hundreds of children out to play at their practices, some with experience and others just starting. They only recently joined the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association in the middle of the boys season, so they are hoping to get more tournaments under their belts in the coming months and prepare for the girls’ season in the fall.
The Beat the Heat tournament welcomed almost 100 teams from around the region across nine age groups. The Scorpions faced four other teams in their division, including multiple from the NC Rush Triad club based in Winston-Salem that hosted the tournament.
Starting the day on Saturday, April 11, the Scorpions faced the NC Rush Triad Silver team at 9:30 a.m. Filled with adrenaline to start their competitive season, Piedmont took the game 6–1.
The team lost in their second game of the day against the Carolina Core Football Core Force team after a hard-fought match resulting in a 1–0 score. However, considering their commanding win in the first game, they were seeded high enough in the bracket for the semi-finals the next morning.
They faced the Carolina Core Force team again on Sunday, April 12, at 8 a.m. and emerged victorious this time, winning 3–1. This set them up for the final in the under 16 premier bracket facing off against the NC Rush Triad Mount Airy Blue team.
After a long weekend of play, the Scorpions did ultimately fall to the Mount Airy team 5–1, but Matangira was excited to have made it so far at their first competitive tournament as a team.
“It’s a very good thing moving forward. We’ve never looked stronger. We’ve never looked better. With that second place finish, the kids are pumped up,” Matangira said.
The team continues to grow, especially as the summer approaches and is finding more ways to take on as many children interested in learning the sport as possible. They are looking for more sponsors interested in supporting children’s tuition and support the club’s equipment needs.
The club hopes to field a team for the 15 and under age group later in May to close out the boys’ season. They are also hoping to host camps this summer which they plan to announce in the coming weeks. Anyone interested in getting involved with the club can reach out to Matangira directly at 336-575-7318 or visit piedmontsoccerclub.com.
“I’m looking forward to more tournaments, more community involvement,” Matangira said. “Play local. Come and look us up and let us try to help your kids.”