It took a long time for Greene’s soccer team to earn the respect of state pollsters, and now that the Trojans are ranked among the top ten – at number eight – they want to prove they belong.

Greene (17-1) will meet up with the state’s number three-ranked Class C team, Marathon, Saturday at 11:15 a.m. at the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta for its first boys’ soccer sectional title. It’s the third appearance in the sectional finals for Greene, but the first in over 15 years.

“One of the motivational factors for us is lack of respect,” said Greene’s third-year head coach, Rick Tallman. Tallman said his team went undefeated a large portion of this season, and the team’s only defeat was a 4-2 decision to S.S. Seward, the number one ranked Class C team in the state when the game was played. “The MAC (Midstate Athletic Conference) may not be a strong league (from top to bottom), and we’ve had to go out and earn respect. I think we proved how good we are this season by reaching the finals.”

In Marathon, the Trojans meet a team that has a long tradition of winning, and Tallman is well aware of the Olympians’ accomplishments. He lives in Marathon, and knows the head coach and many of this year’s players.