Warhorses charge into playoffs with first round victory

No. 1 seed Owen shuts out Mount Pleasant, 9-0

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 30, 2023

The top-seeded team in the West Region opened the 2023 NCHSAA 2A State Soccer Playoffs, Oct. 30, at home, against No. 32 Mount Pleasant. 

The Warhorses played like a team with something to prove in their 9-0 first round victory. 

Owen found the back of the net early against the Tigers, as senior Josiah Wilder slipped the ball past the opposing goalkeeper in the fourth minute of play for his first of two goals in the match. The reigning state champions extended their lead to 2-0 three minutes later when senior Elijah Caro scored his first of two goals.

Senior Daniel Garcia got involved later in the first half, connecting on the first of his two goals while falling away from a defender. The Warhorses carried a 5-0 lead into the half, following another Wilder goal in the 35th minute of play.

Owen Lollis, A.J. Logan and Mylo Morgan each added to the tally in the second half, as the home team closed out the match in the 60th minute.

“Since our final regular season game last week, we’ve said we wanted to go out and prove to people we weren’t a fluke, and we were going to be driven and live by our philosophy and core beliefs,” head coach Trei Morrison said after the playoff match. “The last three days of training I was a little worried because I thought we were starting to take some things for granted and we weren’t playing as quickly as we could. I think they had a point to prove to me tonight, because our ball movement was as good as it has been.”

The style of play underscores the strong work ethic exhibited by the Warhorses all season long, according to the coach.

“It takes a lot of work to move as much as they did off the ball, and some people may see it, but a lot don’t,” Morrison said. “It’s not always easy for teenage boys to put in so much effort when they’re not getting a pat on the back, but they really focused on working hard tonight, and I’m extremely proud of them.”

While multiple Owen players were involved in the offensive attack, the defense played a vital role in the opening round victory, according to the coach.

“People don’t always notice that, but our guys really pressured them and didn’t allow them a lot of time with the ball,” he said. “Every time they won the ball, we had four or five gives in the immediate area trying to get it back. Forwards like to get the ball and score goals, but our forwards do a lot of dirty work for us, just trying to get the ball back.”

Owen will host No. 17 seed West Caldwell at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2.

“Those people up in the stands really push us to be better, and their support means the world to us,” Morrison said. “We feel a lot of comfort when we’re home playing in the Swannanoa Valley, and that’s why we played such a tough schedule this year, because our goal was to play at home up to the final match.”

Photos of the Warhorses’ first round NCHSAA 2A State Soccer Playoff victory over Mount Pleasant can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.