With nine starters back from a team that won 20 games and went to the semifinals of the state tournament last season, the Green Hope boys’ soccer team has been pegged as one of the favorites to win the 4-A state championship this fall.

While the preseason adoration is nice, Green Hope coach Andrew Chadwick will quickly point out something about his team when he’s reminded of the preseason expectations.

“We have zero trophies in the trophy case,” Chadwick said last week. “We haven’t accomplished anything. So what matters is what happens on the field.”

One thing that will likely happen is that Green Hope will win. Since 2000, their second season in existence, every Green Hope team has won at least 15 games. In three of the last four seasons, the Falcons have been a state semifinalist. This team is intent on getting further than any of its predecessors.

“On paper, they are supposed to have one of the better teams in the state,” Chadwick said. “But I explained to them my first year I came here [2002], I had the hardest time keeping those kids motivated. They were so overconfident. That team thought they were going to walk on the field and it was going to be handed to them, I think. This team, not only do they want to win it, they want to prove they’re going to be one of the better teams for a while. I’m so pleased with the effort and attitude so far.”

That attitude has been kept in check in part because of the way the 2007 season ended. In the East Regional final, the Falcons played undefeated Broughton to a scoreless stalemate in regulation. Early in the first of two 10-minute extra periods, Capitals forward Brandon Haynes buried what proved to be the game winner.

“Everyone was disappointed, me included,” said Green Hope goalkeeper Alex Long. “But we use it for motivation.”

The jarring conclusion shattered what had been a dream season. The Falcons finished 20-3-2, they outscored their opponents 79-12 and had nine shutouts. At the end, though, all they had to show for it was the regional runner-up trophy.

The mark of this team will be how well it works together, a cohesion that’s been years in the making. The nine seniors have all played together since their sophomores years and have compiled a staggering record of 35-8-3 during the last two seasons.

“At this point, we know what to expect from each other because we’ve played together for so long,” said senior midfielder Stephen Clowes.

Green Hope’s attack will be dynamic, too, with midfielders Justin Smith and Justin Taylor and forward Martin Murphy remaining constant threats. The Falcons have always moved the ball exceptionally well and been capable of attacking out of any position.

But the season won’t be a walk in the park. In addition to the always tough Tri-Eight Conference schedule — the two dates against Apex are can’t-miss affairs — the Falcons will face a brutal nonconference slate of games, too. They’ll go head-to-head with Broughton, the two-time reigning state champion, and they’ll host Greensboro Grimsley, the 2007 state runner-up, in the first week of the season. They’ll also play Durham Jordan, Leesville Road and Wakefield, which won 17, 16 and 11 games, respectively, a year ago.

The Falcons welcome the challenge.

“You like having the target on your chest because you know everybody’s going to come after you,” said junior defender Jared Girard. “It’s going to take the whole team. We all have a lot of experience, so we’ll see how we do.”

Chadwick’s biggest concern is keeping the team focused, something he said he’s struggled to do with teams facing great expectations in the past, again citing the 2002 season as the perfect example. That team featured the likes of Michael Callahan and Stephen Bickford and it rolled through the regular season, winning 21 games, before crashing out of the state tournament in the third round.

“The great coaches, some of the coaches in our area — Izzy [Hernandez] from Broughton, Kevin [Todd] from Apex — their teams never play down. They always play at the same level,” Chadwick said. “The problem I’ve had is maintaining the same consistent level.”

If these Falcons stray, then Chadwick need only to make a trip to the trophy case to set them straight.