Owen boys soccer defeats Draughn 5-0

BLACK MOUNTAIN - The Owen boys soccer team defeated Draughn 5-0 in the first conference game of the season Sept. 6.

The Warhorses did not let another team score a single goal in conference play last season, ending the season as state champions.

The Sept. 6 win is the second since the Warhorses' first loss in 20 games, a 1-0 loss to Roberson Aug. 30. This loss came after Owen’s leading scorer Davis Kendall was forced to exit a game against Asheville High Aug. 21 with a knee injury, though the team won that game 1-0. Coach Trei Morrison told Black Mountain News Sept. 6 that Kendall would be out of action for “a while.”

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Morrison said the loss of Kendall means younger players are stepping up. He said the biggest challenge this season is getting these players comfortable in their roles, but he said he is not concerned because everyone on the team is working hard.

The Warhorses met with Draughn a night after defeating Newton-Conover 3-0 in what Morrison called a “tough game.”

He said Draughn came into the game with a plan to keep the score down, but Owen played a “creative” game.

“I don’t think the score reflects what we played,” Morrison said. “Credit to them. They had a game plan to keep the score down and try to get us on the counterattack. I thought our transition to defense never allowed them to get a counterattack. They were trying.”

Junior Spencer Wooley scored three of the five goals Sept. 6 and described the match as one of the “weirder” he has played.

“We don’t really play other teams that have that style of play sitting all those guys in the box,” Wooley said. “But we pushed through overall and got the win.”

Senior Josiah Wilder scored a goal in the first half and said the Warhorses were “complacent” at times against Draughn, but worked together to come out on top.

Senior AJ Logan said the team does its best when focusing on the game rather than the opposing team.

“I feel like we play better when we don’t look at it as an easy team or a hard team,” Logan said. “Rather just another game we have to win.”

He said when the team really works together they become unstoppable, and though the Warhorses may have some “rough edges,” the team is working on smoothing them out.

“Just moving off the ball and deciding whether we should attack or keep the ball,” Logan said. “We have rough edges. Not everything is going to be perfect, but we do what we can.”

Morrison agreed that the team works hard to be the best version of the Warhorses.

“They work their socks off, but they also play a really free flow,” Morrison said. “It’s hard to do what they do. It’s not just individual ability, it’s their movement and ability to move the ball and interchange positions. You don’t see many high school teams doing that.”

As for what Morrison is looking for in the future, he said he wants the team to do the best it can.

“We want to win it all,” Morrison said. “We’re still out to win it. We’ve just got to stay healthy and stay smart.”

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