But try telling the participants that it's just gravy to add a piece of Coaches Tournament hardware to the school trophy case.

Nothing beats winning a state championship, but the Coaches Tournament isn't just some ancillary title game to get teams prepared for the tournament.

Just ask Rancocas Valley senior Alec Golini, who happens to be one of the best midfielders in South Jersey.

All four finalists had to fight and scrap to get to the finals. No team more than Rancocas Valley, which needed 10 penalty kicks to finally dispose of West Deptford in the semifinals. The 10-9 edge came after the teams played to a 1-1 draw through 100 minutes.

Golini says that facing undefeated and No. 1 St. Augustine in Sunday's 2 p.m. final at Eastern has special meaning.

Then again, he has quite a different perspective from most.

Golini, who is headed to Lafayette and is a four-year varsity performer, was part of three division champions his first three years. Last season, Rancocas Valley also won the Group 4 state title and finished as The Inquirer's No. 1 team.

The Coaches Tournament, meanwhile, has provided its share of heartache.

This is Golini's third time playing in the finals, and he's still searching for that elusive title.

"We've won our league and won the states but haven't won the Coaches Tournament," Golini said. "For a team that's supposed to be the best in South Jersey coming into the season, this is something we really want to win."

Golini cringes when discussing his previous trips to the final. When he was a freshman, Rancocas Valley lost, 6-0, to a powerhouse Shawnee team. Last year, Moorestown beat the Red Devils, 4-3.

"You can't believe how badly we want this, and we know we have our work cut out because this is a great St. Augustine team," he said.

That's a St. Augustine team that needed a goal by Dominic Pernice with 36 seconds left in regulation to dispose of Eastern, 3-2.

On the opposite end is Lenape girls' team, The Inquirer's current No. 1 South Jersey squad. The Indians have won the previous two Coaches Tournament titles, yet their appetite for another is as voracious as Golini's.

For head coach Kevin Meder, this is also much more than gravy. His team plays No. 2 Washington Township for the third time this year, going for a third straight title in this 16-team single-elimination tourney. And it never gets old.

"We never take the approach that this is secondary," said Meder, whose team beat Gloucester Catholic, 2-1, in the semifinal. "It's the best 16 teams in South Jersey, and you want to see how you measure up."

Meder paused, then added: "This is a great showcase for South Jersey soccer."

Imagine how Washington Township feels, getting a third shot at Lenape, with a fourth likely to come in the South Jersey Group 4 tournament. Lenape has won both regular-season meetings.

All Township had to do to force a third meeting was beat previously undefeated Paul VI, 3-2, in overtime to advance to the final.

"This means a lot," said Washington Township forward Janine Valerio, who has 49 career goals, two shy of Jen Evans' school record. "Not many teams get this opportunity, and we are proud to be part of this."

The Coaches Tournament ends right before the state tournament begins, so there is no finality to a player's career, win or lose.

That still doesn't take away the urgency, something clearly evident during a captivating semifinal round that promises more of the same this weekend.