Warhorses ready to kick it up a notch in 2023
Owen defends state championship with mix of veterans and young players
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 15, 2023
Memorable moments on the soccer field were as plentiful as goals for Owen in 2022, as the Warhorses ran away with the first NCHSAA 2A State Soccer Championship in the program’s history. There was an undefeated Western Highlands Conference schedule in which the Warhorses outscored their opponents, 72-0, a dramatic triple overtime victory in front of a boisterous home crowd in the West Regional Championship match and a thrilling 4-3 shootout following a 1-1 tie in the title match against Clinton.
But, as second-year head coach Trei Morrison and his team head into the 2023 campaign, fresh off a 9-0 victory in their Aug. 14 opener against Smoky Mountain, none of that matters if Owen wants to repeat their title run.
“The past is the past and you can’t rest on your laurels,” said Morrison, who stepped into his current role three games into the 2022 season. “Last year was a great year, but we can’t rely on that because nobody is going to let us. We have to work everyday, because nothing is given to you.”
Eleven seniors helped Owen hoist the championship trophy a season ago, including all-state center back Harrison Kendall, goalkeeper Nolan Swoap and team captain Liam Gildner.
“Six of those seniors were either starters or earned a significant amount of playing time,” Morrison said. “You never replace players like that, but you have new guys who come in and work to fill those roles.”
Fortunately, the program has amassed considerable depth, according to the coach.
“We had players on our varsity team last season who came off the bench in crucial moments in key situations, and we even had junior varsity players who took leadership roles on that team,” he said. “Even in the playoffs, we had two JV players who stepped on the field during the championship match.”
Owen head coach Trei Morrison encourages his team to play with intensity in the pre-game huddle, Aug. 14, as the Warhorses opened the 2023 season with a 9-0 victory over Smoky Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick
The program’s continuity was on full display in the Warhorses’ 2023 opener, as junior striker Davis Kendall, who scored 50 goals last year, put four in the net against the Mustangs. Senior midfielder Elijah Caro added two of his own, while senior Josh Hollowell, junior Owen Lollis and senior Josiah Wilder each tallied goals in the victory.
Owen managed 20 shots on goal against Smoky Mountain, while the defense allowed 1, which was quickly corralled by junior goalkeeper James Centers. New starters like junior Cayden Mobley, freshman Lyle Sulzman and sophomore Nolan McTeague-Popishil, who played alongside his brother and team captain, Abraham, were comfortable in the coach’s system.
“This is a great group of players and we’re fortunate to have a lot of depth,” Morrison said. “It’s obviously hard to fathom that when you lose so many seniors, but one thing I take pride in is that we don’t run our program as a varsity and JV; it’s one team. By doing that last year, I think it really helped players develop in our system.”
Having those pieces in place bodes well for Kendall, who won a state championship as a member of the soccer team last fall and earned individual state titles as a member of the indoor track team in the winter and the track and field team last spring.
“We want to go back-to-back,” Kendall said, following Owen’s victory on Monday night. “We’re really trying to move on from last year and come out here this season with the same mentality that we have to do the work to get there.”
Owen junior Davis Kendall, who scored 50 goals for the NCHSAA 2A state champions last year, opened the 2023 season with 4 against Smoky Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick
That’s a process that began immediately after graduation, according to Morrison.
“Our last day of school was on a Friday, graduation was that Saturday, and we were back out here training on Monday,” he said. “These guys have worked extremely hard this summer, and that’s something they deserve a lot of credit for.”
The effort is indicative of a mindset that is carrying over from a season ago, according to the older McTeague-Popishil brother.
“We know what it takes to win, and that starts with our team chemistry and work ethic,” Abraham said. “We have to find that balance between challenging each other and letting Coach Trei be supportive of the younger guys.”
It’s a formula that has already proven effective for the Warhorses, who haven’t lost a match since September of 2022.
“Chemistry is something we’re going to be working on throughout the season,” Kendall said. “Our summer workouts really helped with that, and we can already feel that coming together, but I feel like it’s going to get even stronger as the season goes on.”
While the roster may look different in 2023, the key to another championship run could be found within the four tenets Morrison and his team repeat in unison before each match: play hard, play smart, play together, play to win.
“We don’t want to change our core beliefs or philosophy, because if it’s good enough to get there once, it should be good enough to get there again,” the coach said. “I want these players to have fun playing the style of soccer we play, and if we stick to hard work, a team mentality and play with intensity from start to finish, we will have a successful season.”
Photos of the Warhorses opening day victory over Smoky Mountain can be viewed in the gallery at the top the page.