Southern Force (Johnson City, Ill.) head coach Gerry Glasco, along with assistant coaches Scott Wagner and Tara Glasco have been named the 2004 Speedline/NFCA Travel Ball National Coaching Staff of the Year. 

Glasco led the Force to the 2004 ASA 18U Gold National Championship, finishing the Marietta, Ga., tournament with a perfect 7-0 record. The win marked just the second time that a non-California team has captured the title at Gold Nationals. 

The Southern Force defeated the California Cruisers 2-1 in an exciting championship game that ended with Shanna Diller belting a 10th-inning RBI single. 

"It is a tremendous honor," said Glasco. "It is actually quite overwhelming. We have come out of no where with this team and this shows that you can be respected no matter where you are from if you can win." 

The Force finished the 2004 travel ball season with a 59-9 record, including a 10-0 mark at the Show Me Classic in St. Louis. They also won the Orland Sparks Invitational in Chicago with a 9-0 record and qualified for Gold nationals with an 8-0 showing at the Sector 2 Qualifier in Blue Springs, Mo. 

"You cannot do it without the players," added Glasco. "We had a great group of girls this season."