The Jefferson City Jays had come too far and been through too much to let this one slip away.
"I was nervous," Jays soccer coach Eddie Horn said. "Everybody expected us to win. For us to lose this game would have been a huge disappointment."
There was little reason to worry. Jefferson City outshot Camdenton 23-2 on Thursday night and posted a 3-0 victory against the Lakers in the Class 3 District 10 championship game at the 179 Soccer Park.
With the win, Jefferson City (19-8) advances to Tuesday night's sectional game against Rock Bridge (19-7-1). The 19th win ties Jefferson City's single-season record. Rock Bridge defeated Blue Springs South 2-1 on Wednesday night to win the District 9 crown.
"We got off to a great start to the season, then went through a rough stretch before we seemed to have righted the ship again," Horn said. "For us to lose, it would have been brutal."