Owen soccer winning streak ends at 20 games
Roberson hands Warhorses first loss since 2022
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 31, 2023
A rainy night in Warhorse Stadium, Aug. 30, ended with Owen’s first loss in 20 matches.
The 3-0 Warhorses welcomed 3-1 Roberson, as a steady, sometimes heavy, drizzle dampened the field to open the contest, creating optimal conditions for the reigning Western Mountain Mountain Athletic Conference (3A/4A) Champions, as they battled to a 1-0 victory.
Owen entered the contest having not lost a match since Aug. 12, 2022, when they fell 2-1 to Hibriten. Head coach Trei Morrison and his team continued their winning ways, following the Aug. 21 loss of junior striker and leading scorer Davis Kendall, who was sidelined for the season with a knee injury he suffered in a 1-0 victory over Asheville.
The 2022 state champion Warhorses remained undaunted by the loss of their star as they hosted the 4A Roberson program.
“You don’t replace a talent like Davis Kendall. You find different ways, different styles and players have different roles,” Morrison said. “We were a little tentative early in the match, but once we settled down and played, we dominated large stretches against a very strong opponent. It wasn’t the result we wanted, but I think if we play that way for the rest of the season, we’re going to get back into the areas of the postseason we want to be in.”
The Rams controlled the ball through the opening minutes of the contest, as a possession in the right corner of their attacking third developed into a goal for senior Daniel Foster in the 21st minute.
“We defended the corner well, we were marked and attacked the ball,” Morrison said. “Our philosophy is stay with your man is in the zone until the ball is cleared. We got out of position, and they did exactly what they should’ve done and took advantage.”
Halftime adjustments and improved weather conditions favored the Warhorses, who quickly established possession in the second half and find chances against Roberson defenders.
“They have a really talented group of midfielders, who I think are of the highest quality in the area,” Morrison said. “They were really pressing the middle of the field for us, so at halftime we decided to go wide to beat those three and then come back inside. I thought we did that exceptionally well.”
A flurry of Warhorses, including seniors AJ Logan and Josiah Wilder and junior Owen Lollis, led the charge.
“Those guys, especially Josiah and AJ, did a great job of getting the ball in the midfield, then getting it back in dangerous positions,” Morrison said. “Then, when we slid Owen forward, and I thought him and Josiah were exceptional in the second half.”
A late push up the left side by Lollis in the closing minutes of the match led to a shot on goal that slipped past the Roberson goalkeeper before deflecting of the right bar.
“We came out there with the mindset that we weren’t going to make any excuses against a quality opponent like that,” Morrison said. “We went out, gave it our best, and came up short. The challenge is now can we go out and continue to play at that level against the rest of our opponents. I don’t think we’ll play another team that’s better than them.”
The loss snapped a 20-game winning streak for the Warhorses and marked the first goal allowed by the defense in 2023, but players decided to turn to the page, according to the coach.
“I don’t really think that will impact us, because we had a great mentality after that game,” he said. “They were down in the moment, because they felt they could win that game. There was disappointment, but in our conversation after the game they realize the performance was quality, the result was not.”
A challenging non-conference schedule will bring Newton-Conover to town at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 5, one day before a tough Western Highlands Conference opener against Draughn.
“Newton-Conover is the class of N.C. 2A soccer, so we have our work cut out for us,” Morrison said. “These boys are focusing on each match because this isn’t an easy schedule, but the way they’re playing I can tell they know they’re up to the challenge.”
Photos of the Aug. 30 match between Owen and T.C. Roberson can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.