With two key offensive players already unable to make the trip to Grünberg, the Steinmühlen team’s center forward was also injured during warm-ups. As a result, only 13 players were available for the long day of tournament play.

Despite this significant loss of players, the team managed to earn a well-deserved 0–0 draw against the team from Kassel, which would go on to finish third in the tournament. This opening match gave the players a boost and renewed confidence. With great team unity and an unstoppable fighting spirit, they defeated their next opponent from Friedrichsdorf 1–0 thanks to a goal by Marc Potthast. With this victory, the semifinals suddenly came back within reach. However, the final group-stage match against the Elly-Heuss-Schule from Wiesbaden—one of the tournament favorites—could be lost by no more than a one-goal margin. After a hard-fought battle, the team managed to hold on to a 0–1 deficit for a long time, but by the end of the match, fatigue and the opponent’s superior play began to take their toll, resulting in a 0–3 loss.

After missing out on the semifinals, the players in the 5th-place game clearly struggled to muster the fighting spirit to give it their all again. Nevertheless, they nearly tied the game in the final minute with a shot that hit the post. As it stood, however, our team had to concede a 2–3 loss to the team from Dillenburg, despite goals from Mio Essers and Arthur Laux.

The team can also be proud of its 6th-place finish, as it represented Steinmühle with great success and an impeccable attitude at the state finals this school year.