Published on March 31, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
One Knoxville SC News Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Alex Magnuson and the Smoky Boot will always share a connection.
In fact, it’s an indelible one that, no matter how many miles the unique trophy travels or how many fingerprints are smudged on it, the bond between a creator and their creation will always be the strongest. So when Magnuson saw the Smoky Boot for the first time in a few years, a grin across his face quickly appeared – the same one that showed up when he initially finished the project.
“I see it and it’s just pure nostalgia,” says Magnuson. “Just being a part of this is so special to me. I love art, I love sculpture and I love soccer. It’s awesome to be able to look at it again.”
“It’s one of my favorite pieces.”
With One Knoxville SC and Asheville City SC resuming its Smoky Mountain Series on Tuesday for the Second Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the Smoky Boot is up for grabs once again. Nothing would make One Knox happier than keeping it in Knoxville, but this a match that the club isn’t taking lightly because of the history and stakes involved.
“We’ve got a tall task ahead,” said One Knox Head Coach Ian Fuller. “After watching their First Round win over Greenville (Triumph SC), we know a very competitive match is coming our way.”
This will be Fuller’s first taste of the Smoky Mountain Series – a rivalry that began with One Knox’s founding for the 2022 USL League Two season, falling to Asheville 2-1 on May 14, 2022 for its first ever match. Since then, One Knox has since gained the upper-hand in the series with a 3-1 victory later in that same season, and then another win in the 2024 US Open Cup, this time a 2-0 result.
With Knoxville having made the jump to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2023, the two sides – separated by 116 miles of Smoky Mountain landscape – have not met on the pitch often, but that’s what makes the rivalry, and the chance to claim the Smoky Boot, even more special.
“These type of games always call for more emotion and more focus,” said One Knoxville defender Dani Fernandez, who has been a part of the previous three Smoky Mountain Series matchups. “There’s a little something extra involved because it’s a rivalry and we’re playing for a trophy. I love it personally, it’s scruffy, so it represents us well.”
Scruffy was exactly the idea Magnuson had in mind when he was first approached to design a trophy for a then-budding rivalry.
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