Owen state championship rings commemorate special soccer season

Warhorses take the stage to haul in latest hardware

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 28, 2023

Owen presented NCHSAA 2A State Soccer Championship rings to the Warhorses, June 26, in a ceremony held in the school’s auditorium. The rings represent the first state title in the program’s history. Photo by Fred McCormick

Witnessing the Owen soccer team shine under the bright lights of Warhorse Stadium was a common sight last fall, as the team raced to the first state title in school history, but their latest accessory will sparkle for years to come.

Head Coach Trei Morrison and his team were welcomed to the stage in the Owen auditorium, June 26, as the school presented championship rings commemorating a special season.

Principal Dr. Samantha Sircey welcomed families and supporters of the Warhorse soccer team to a ceremony honoring the 2022 NCHSAA 2A State Soccer Champions,

“It’s hard to believe, about a year ago, these players were just stepping on the field to get ready for the season,” she said. “There was a change at coach late in the summer, and coach Morrison stepped in and got things rolling pretty quickly. Now, here we are celebrating these state champions of men’s soccer.”

Owen soccer players show off their latest piece of hardware, June 26, as the school hosted a state championship ring ceremony in the auditorium. Photo by Fred McCormick

Sircey introduced Morrison, who thanked her for hiring him to lead the program.

“It was a life-changing moment for me to come to Owen and coach the soccer team,” Morrison said. “The sense of community in the school and in Black Mountain and Swannanoa, as well as the soccer community has been amazing. The way they got behind these players on their historic trip to a state championship is something I will never forget.”

The Warhorses finished the campaign 22-2-1, upsetting multiple teams in the playoffs and advancing to the championship with a 5-4 home victory over Lincoln Charter in triple overtime. Scores of fans made the trip to Browns Summit, Nov. 18, when then-senior Harrison Kendall scored a golden goal to deliver the Swannanoa Valley’s second state championship of the fall athletics season.

Morrison added he was already focusing on the 2023 season, while expressing appreciation for the continued support of the community.

“It’s fun to take a moment and celebrate these unique boys,” he said. “They’re unique in our school, and in the entire area. It’s been 16 years since any high school in WNC has won a state soccer championship.”

The team would like to add more hardware to the trophy cases in the years ahead, he added.

“Hopefully it will say ‘Owen’ for the next several years,” Morrison said of the state champion title.

Owen soccer head coach Trei Morrison is greeted by players on the auditorium stage, June 26, as the Warhorses received their 2022 NCHSAA 2A State Championship rings. Photo by Fred McCormick

Players buying into a common goal played a key role in the Warhorses success, according to the coach.

“On the very first night, we talked about how we wanted to be a team that played with intensity from the starting to final whistles,” Morrison said. “I think the state championship tournament shows that best. We had two overtime victories, one sudden death overtime victory, where we would score, the opponent would come back, and we were like, ‘no.’'“

The ability to maintain a high level of intensity elevated the confidence of the players throughout the year.

“By the time we got to the championship game, the biggest questions I got were about when or how I was going to make changes,” Morrison said. “I was always thinking why would we change anything? This is what got us here, and this is what we do. The boys felt exactly the same way, because they had the confidence to finish what they started.”

Owen soccer players are recognized, June 26, as the school hosted a championship ring ceremony in the auditorium. Photo by Fred McCormick

Sircey presented each player and the head coach with a ring, which were purchased through multiple fundraising initiatives by the Owen Athletics Booster Club. The nonprofit organization, which supports the school’s athletic programs, raised a total of $15,000 to buy championship rings for the Owen cross country and soccer programs

The booster club also presented the school with a 8-foot-by-4-foot framed team photo that will later be installed in the cafeteria.