King’s Park will be jam-packed this weekend for the Peach City Classic soccer tournament.
Fifty-five teams in the under-11 to-18 age group hit the pitch to fill the nets with goals. Ezra Cremers, executive director and head coach of Pinnacles FC, said they have a good range of teams. The competition is expected to be fantastic. Among the 55 teams will be eight PFC Excelsior academy squads.
“In the end it’s a great opportunity to compare themselves to the coast,” said Cremers. “The coast is usually where they have a 10-month season. It really sets us up for when we go to a tournament in Coquitlam on Labour Day.”
Cremers said that the Peach City Classic is a popular tournament for three reasons. The first is timing.
“No. 1 it’s Penticton in August. What a great time to be here,” he said.
The second being they are known for having some of the nicest grass pitches in the province. In addition, it’s a great tournament for the province as coastal teams start their season in September. Cremers pointed out that those team use this tournament as a training exhibition.
“The last thing is we are starting to become very competitive,” said Cremers. “When people hear that they are going to play Pinnacles FC, they know they are going to get some good, quality games. There is actually some rivalries already created with some of the teams. We’re getting known that people want to play us. We want to play them.
“We pride ourselves on being competitive,” he added.
All the action kicks off on Friday as early as 2 p.m. until Sunday afternoon.
The soccer club is seeking volunteers to help with the weekend. Those interested in helping are asked to sign up on their website.