Warhorses show strength on Senior Night

Owen soccer returns to home field with 8-0 victory over NCSSM

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 29, 2024

Soccer returned to Warhorse Stadium, Oct. 28, when Owen hosted Western Highlands Conference opponent N.C. School of Science Math. The first home match since Tropical Storm Helene devastated the area was also the final regular season home appearance for nine Owen seniors.

The 8-0 victory over the Dragons was a show of strength for the program that competed in only two matches since Sept. 18.

The Warhorses entered the contest six days after a 10-2 win over Madison on the road, where they resumed the 2024 season with their fourth consecutive victory. Seniors Davis Kendall, Owen Lollis, Jace Grogan, Blake Bradley, Nolan McTeague-Pospishil, Josue Robles, Mylo Morgan, Liam Feste and Hudson McGuire were recognized at midfield before the opening kick.

Many of the players in the group were members of the 2022 state championship squad and last year’s West Regional runner-up team. Owen, which has defeated its opponents by a combined score of 35-2 during its current five-game winning streak, needed less than 10 minutes to get on the board against NCSSM.

Sophomore Lyle Sulzman, assisted by junior Spencer Woolley, slipped an easy goal past the opposing goalkeeper to start the night. Woolley added his own goal to the tally less than two minutes later.

Kendall recorded his first of two goals later in the opening half, while his fellow senior, Lollis, extended the Owen lead to 4-0 in the 29th minute. Feste, handling an assist from Sulzman, hit the back of the net with a well-placed shot from about 30 yards out, giving the Warhorses a 5-goal advantage at the half.

Kendall, along with freshmen Boone Ferguson and Keegan Berry, each added a goal in the second half, setting up a conference championship match at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, in Avery County.

The Warhorses were motivated, as they entered their first home contest since early September, according to Lollis.

“All the boys were really fired up,” he said, following the match. “We wanted to go out there with a lot of passion and score a lot of goals.”

Nobody has scored more goals for Owen in recent years than Kendall, who notched 50 as a sophomore before missing most of his junior season to a knee injury. He leads the team with 16 in eight games, through a season shortened by a natural disaster.

The team, which was unable to practice for three weeks, due to the storm, has proven its resilience in unprecedented circumstances, according to the senior striker.

“As soon as we were able to get back on the field, we were out here,” Kendall said. “We’ve done a good job of not falling off, and our chemistry has been great. It feels like we’re moving right along.”

The Warhorses needed one match to find their rhythm, according to Lollis.

“Coach (Trei Morrison) has really helped us get back to where we need to be in practice, and you can see it coming together on the field,” he said. “I feel like tonight we played some of the best soccer we’ve every played. We’re moving the ball really well, getting up and getting our runs going, so we’re feeling really good about that.”

Senior leadership has played a significant role in keeping the team, which entered the season with championship aspirations, focused on playing at a high level, according to the coach.

“A lot of teams would have had to come back from that time off and start back at square one,” Morrison said. “While we don’t feel like we’re exactly where we were back in September, when we played Mountain Heritage, we know we’re really close. This group of seniors was locked in and helped keep the younger guys on the same page.”

A strong performance in front of the home fans was a fitting way to celebrate the team’s seniors, he added.

“Tonight was the first night I’ve seen us come out and truly enjoy being on the field,” Morrison said. “No question, being out here in front of these people really boosted us. Senior Night is emotional for a lot of people, not just the seniors. The younger guys want to make sure they step up and play hard for those guys.”

Owen, which has already clinched a playoff spot as the 2A representative in the split conference, has an opportunity to win its fifth straight WHC title with a victory over Avery. The Warhorses have not lost a conference match since the fall of 2020.

“We can’t think about it as us against Avery, or a conference championship match,” Morrison said. “We have to just go out there and enforce our standards and play our style of soccer. We have our own way, and we need to focus on doing things our way, no matter who we’re playing.”

That mentality will be key to a successful campaign, according to Lollis.

“We have a lot of potential this year, and I want to see us make a run in the playoffs,” he said. “We want to play some home games and really bring the fire for the fans.”

Photos of the 2024 Owen Soccer Senior Night can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.