Bucks excited for Round of Eight: “I feel like we’re going to do something special!”
[Applause] everyone that backed us from day one. It feels amazing. I mean, I love this community. I’ll die for Flynn. I just feel like we’re going to continue. Hopefully, they continue supporting us till the day we get knocked out or when we leave the championship. It might seem audacious for a young man who was born in the Caribbean to say they would die for Flint, Michigan. Donovan Gust Phillip grew up in St. Lucia, more than 2400 miles from the vehicle city, with dreams of making it to the MLS. from since I was four years old. I had a goal to come play in the MLS and be the first solution to get drafted. Flint happens to be a key stop on that journey. Philip is a striker who plays collegiately at NC State. In December, he was drafted to the MLS’s Colorado Rapids. I’ve gotten one of those checked off of the list so far. I’m just missing to be the first to actually play in the MLS game. And recently set the Flint City Bucks single season goals record, 15 in counting. It means a lot. I mean, I’m very grateful for everything I have in my career so far. I’ve personally seen a lot of growth in in him this year, just playing with the Bucks. Kust’s been very athletic since he’s probably been 10 years old, and so he’s turned that into uh into some goals up front. No small feat on a team that’s been the class of USL League 2. The Bucks have won four national championships dating back to their days as the Michigan Bucks and are the most prolific team in the league when it comes to sending players like Phillip to the pros. Well, every time you have a a chance to play additional games, you get additional looks from, you know, professional scouts and from from people around the country. Players understand the magnitude of what it means to wear the Bucks crash. They do so with honor. This is some of the great opportunity to come to US to build my career as a soccer player. It’s a great opportunity that uh not everybody gets it. Having the opportunity to be uh part of that, you know, elite group of eight teams left in in the country is is good for our guys and and hopefully for their careers. It’s a pathway to the pro. I mean, um the books have got an amazing um history of sending guys to professional league. And I mean, it’s a a great place to come and develop and hone your craft almost. You never know which match will be your last. It’s one reason this year’s team is motivated to maximize the moment and help deliver the Buck’s fifth championship. Before coming here, I’ve been listening to Fbacks. It is a very very good team and you have to keep the mentality of winning every time when you step on the pitch and the coach give you opportunity. So, ever since that we came here, I came with the mentality of winning that made it possible for us to reach this stage. The group’s so talented and uh um there’s so many guys from all over all over the world and I think bringing that together we’ve we’ve done done well so far. So hopefully we can continue to do that. I believe I play for the badge. I made a commitment to came play for Flint this summer and I feel like we’re doing pretty well and I feel like we’re going to do something special.
Flint City Bucks players and coaches reflect on journey to USL2 Central Conference Final.
