A perfect repeat
Owen Senior Night win caps undefeated conference season
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 28, 2021
Six Owen seniors stepped onto the field at Warhorse Stadium, Oct. 27, for the final regular season home game of their high school careers.
A 4-0 victory over Madison, capping a 10-0 championship season in the Western Highlands Conference, made it a Senior Night to remember.
Jason Gun, Luke Nightingale, Zack Schwartz, Austin Noland, Jose Rodriguez and Rowan Tanner were escorted by their families to midfield before the game. Each senior received a home jersey with their names and numbers printed on the back, and a handmade wooden plaque featuring a metal cutout of a horseshoe. The game announcer shared a special memory from each player before the home fans erupted in applause. Senior goalkeeper Charlie Hurt was not present for the match, but was recognized along with his teammates.
Fighting the emotion of the ceremony, all six seniors lined up to start their last regular season game at Warhorse Stadium, and they were greeted by an aggressive Madison defense that was out to spoil their bid for an undefeated conference season. The Patriots, who entered the contest with a 6-7-1 mark, were also looking to avenge a 7-0 home loss to Owen earlier this month.
The Warhorse offense controlled the ball in the middle of the field early, but struggled to set up successful attacks on the Madison goal. The match was scoreless until the 32nd minute, when Owen sophomore Daniel Garcia received a pass from freshman Davis Kendall in front of the net. Garcia put his team ahead, 1-0, with a sharp kick from the right side.
The Warhorses carried that 1-0 advantage into the half.
“We struggled to get our tactics going in the first half,” head coach David Fiest said after the game. “We talked before the game about staying consistent with our tactics, and the first half was a good example of what happens when we don’t go out there and execute the things we discuss.”
Owen’s struggles continued after halftime, when Schwartz was ejected in the ninth minute after receiving a straight red card for physical contact after the play. The senior will be required to miss the next two contests, in accordance with the NCHSAA sportsmanship policy.
The Warhorse offense would find its bearings early in the second half, beginning with a beautiful pass from Gun that resulted in Garcia’s second goal of the night. Leading 2-0 in the 15th minute of the half, Owen set out to add to its lead.
Gun added a third goal for Owen two minutes later with a powerful penalty kick, and Elijah Caro increased the lead to 4-0 with a rebound shot in front of the net.
The players received a standing ovation from the home crowd after the Senior Night victory.
“When you work really hard through your soccer career to have a moment where you have an opportunity to play in front of your home fans, as your high school and club days are coming to an end, and get a win, it’s special,” Fiest said.
The conference championship is the second straight for Owen, which finished an abbreviated WHC schedule last year with a 7-1 mark. The Warhorses, who have five conference championships since Fiest took over the program in 2014, have finished 10-0 in the WHC three times during that span.
The team’s 16-2 overall record represents the best regular season winning percentage for the program under Fiest. The Warhorses outscored their opponents by a combined 106-14 during the 2021 campaign.
The hard work for Fiest and his team, however, will begin in the postseason, which gets underway after NCHSAA seeding is announced, Oct. 29.
“Even though this was our last regular season game, we should be back here again for the playoffs,” Fiest told his team after the game. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Owen will need to focus on “putting two halves together,” as they prepare to pursue a state championship, according to the coach.
“In the playoffs, every team is a good team,” he said. “We have to make sure we’re consistent, and not playing a complete game makes you vulnerable.”