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For months, the goal across the FEAST organization has been pretty clearly defined: Win a Gold Ball at nationals this year.

The Patriots have been working with that goal in mind all season. Now that the week approaches, three different units will represent the Red, White and Blue in Kansas City, each seeking to claim its own coveted trophy. FEAST will feature entries in the 18U, 16U, and 14U divisions.

VARSITY/18U

While they all have the same goal, it’s no understatement to declare the task most urgent for the Patriots Varsity squad. Expectations are deservingly high for a team that carries a 36-3 record and boasts a roster with nine seniors. Coach Doug Johnson’s team competes in the 18U division and opens the tournament as the No. 3 seed in the 47-team field.

Top-seed honors went to DasCHE, the formidable opponent from Cedar Hill that defeated FEAST in the homeschool state title match. The Spartans are 22-6-5 heading into KC and play perhaps the toughest schedule of any of the homeschool organizations.

The CRU Blazers, a storied homeschool program in Big Rock, Ill., come in as the No. 2 seed with a 25-1-1 record. They posted a perfect 7-0 record in winning the Midwest Volleyball Classic amidst a 28-team field of homeschoolers.

Their seedings ensure that the trio will not meet on the court until after the Gold Ball matches have been contested.

FEAST’s Gold Ball quest begins on Thursday at 8 a.m., when it meets CHIEF of Manhattan, Kan., at the New Century Fieldhouse. These two teams tangled on the first day of pool play last year. The Patriots escaped with a narrow 1-point win, 20-25, 25-21.

Also in the pool are Spirit Christian Academy, of Tustin, Calif., and the Omaha Lightning.

Spirit Christian is an unknown. The Warriors are making their first trip to the NCHVC and are seeded fourth in the pool as a result. This is the first time a California team has appeared at the tournament.

The Lightning are a bit more familiar, but only slightly. They are making their first appearance at the NCHVC, but competed in the alternative national tournament a year ago. They come into the tournament with a 23-15-4, including a two-set loss to the Little Rock Flames, the only common opponent they share with FEAST.

Omaha has a 2-1 edge over CHIEF in their three meetings this year.

Should the Patriots successfully navigate pool play, they would claim the top seed in the Class 6A bracket and need two victories to earn the Gold Ball. If the seeding plays out, FEAST could face Tulsa’s NOAH in a rematch of the state semifinal match in Grapevine.

JUNIOR VARSITY/16U

The path for Coach Amy Caddell’s team looks similar to that of the Varsity. The JV Patriots roll into KC with a 17-12-1 overall record and a No. 4 seeding in the 16U division.

Seeded ahead of FEAST in the field of 27 were the CRU Blazers, Red River Rattlers, and DasCHE Spartans. The Blazers claimed the top seed, and as a Midwest team, had no common opponents with the other three. Speculatively, the Blazers likely have a number of varsity players that dual-roster on the 16U team.

The others all competed at the Dallas Angels Classic in early October. The Rattlers won the state crown, the Spartans finished third, and the Patriots took fifth, and somehow they all avoided one another on the court.

There is really no scouting report on either team. Little is known about what divides the Blazers’ two 16U teams. One of their JV teams finished in 13th at the Midwest Volleyball Classic. The Knights are regular attendees of the NCHVC, but haven’t met on the court with the Patriots since the Gulf Coast Regionals were hosted in Houston.

Coming out of Day One atop the pool offers the easiest path to the Gold Ball as the victor gets a quarterfinal bye.

If the seeding holds true, the Patriots would need to defeat the Northeast Kansas Saints in the Class 5A final to claim their prize. The Saints boast a solid program, winning the 18U Silver Ball Showdown Series last year and falling in the final of the same match at 16U.

JUNIOR HIGH/14U

If information is scarce in the 16U division, then it is downright rare in 14U. Many clubs will build a hybrid roster of eligible players, just as the Patriots have done this year.

On the strength of a written seeding form and the program’s reputation, FEAST enters the tournament ranked seventh among the 25-team field. The Patriots open play at 11 a.m. at the New Century Fieldhouse in Pool G, alongside the MHEA Eagles, of Memphis, and the Lighthouse Christian Chargers, of Springfield, Mo.

The pool champ will receive a quarterfinal bye in the Class 7A Gold Bracket. If the seeding holds, that would lead to a potential Gold Ball showdown between FEAST and the Faulkner Falcons of Faulkner, Ark. The Falcons won the 2019 Gold Ball in 12U, defeating many of these same Patriots head-to-head.

Returning to the roster from the 2019 team and competing in the NCHVC for the third time are Liberty Gould, Lucy Wheeler, Georgia McCullough, and Emaleigh Force. Complementing that roster are Jill Hanson and Chloe Hawkins, both of whom played in Kansas City last year. With newcomers Gabi Enriquez, Layla Aaron, and Evie Hanson, the Patriots believe they have added enough firepower to compete with the Falcons for the Gold Ball.