Owen soccer season ends in regional loss
Warhorses fall, 3-0, to Community School of Davidson
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 14, 2023
The festive atmosphere that typically fills Warhorse Stadium following a soccer match was subdued, Nov. 14, as Owen ended its 2023 campaign, following its second loss of the season.
The top seeded Warhorses ended their quest for back-to-back state championships with a 3-0 loss to No. 2 Community School of Davidson.
Owen entered the contest with a 20-1-3 record against the 21-2-1 Spartans, who deployed an aggressive strategy in the opening minutes as the teams battled for field position. CSD applied pressure to the back line of the Warhorses, as senior goalkeeper James Centers responded with a pair of athletic saves.
The Spartans, however, took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute with a breakaway goal that sailed just over the head of the Owen goalkeeper. CSD added to their lead less than two minutes later with goal from around 30 yards out.
The visiting team maintained its momentum in the second half, adding its third goal of the match in the 71st minute to put the game out of reach.
The Warhorses, who earned an NCHSAA 2A West Regional Runner-up trophy after the match, were emotional as they gathered for a lengthy post-game huddle with head coach Trei Morrison.
“That was the hardest thing,” Morrison said. “Even when we were down 2-0 I thought we were going to find a way to get back in it. The first thing I did was apologize to the boys, because I felt like I let them down and didn’t have them mentally prepared for this game. But, they came out and played their hearts out for each other, me and this school.”
The coach credited seniors James Centers, AJ Logan, Elijah Caro, Daniel Garcia, Josh Hollowell, Abraham McTeague-Pospishil and Josiah Wilder for their efforts in a “special season” for the Swannanoa Valley.
“That group of players has won five trophies for this school, they’ve been one of the final four teams in the state twice in a row, now, and nobody does that,” the second-year Warhorse coach said. “I’m incredibly proud of this team.”
While Owen will lose many talented players to graduation, the program will soon begin to focus on another postseason run.
“We’re going to do our best to get back to this match for a third straight year,” Morrison said. “Obviously, we will say goodbye to some incredible players, but we lost some incredible players last year. We plan to come back, work even harder, and do what it takes to get back here.”
Photos of the 2023 NCHSAA 2A West Regional match between Owen and the Community School of Davidson can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.