Members of the football team from Hai'an Bowen Senior High School. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Hai'an Bowen Senior High School has made history by advancing to the top 8 in the 2024–25 National Youth Campus Football League. In a tense round of 16 knockout match, the team edged out Linyi No 2 High School with a 6:5 victory on penalties, becoming the only county-level school to reach the quarterfinals.

After a grueling 90 minutes that ended in a 0:0 draw, the match was decided by a dramatic penalty shootout. Despite falling behind early in the shootout, Hai'an players held their nerve and staged a comeback, sealing their place in the elite eight.

The team's impressive run began in the group stage, where they secured three consecutive wins – 3:1 against Hainan High School, 3:1 against Jinhua Tangxi Senior High School, and 3:2 against Changsha Lushan International Experimental School. With a perfect record, they topped their group and advanced to the knockout stage.

The National Youth Campus Football League is the highest-level school football competition in China. Founded in 2022, the Hai'an Bowen football team consists of 26 players and three coaches. Despite being a relatively new team, they made waves in 2024 by finishing as runners-up in the prestigious "Governor's Cup", marking the best performance in Hai'an football history.

Their continued success on the national stage reflects the growing strength of grassroots football and inspires future development of youth football in Hai'an.