New look Warhorses wield familiar formula

Young and Experieced Owen Roster Remains Steadfast In Pursuit of Deep Postseason Run

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 18, 2025

The names that echoed around Warhorse Stadium, Aug. 15, were noticeably different than many heard last year, when nine seniors suited up for the Owen soccer team.

However, as a crop of younger faces opened the 2025 season at home with a 6-1 victory over East Henderson, the Warhorses displayed a familiar sense of confidence and flair.

Led by 3 goals from senior Spencer Woolley, 2 off the foot and head of senior Caden Mobley and another from sophomore Boone Ferguson, Owen was in command from the kickoff. Mobley fired a screamer from the left side of the field to open the floodgates, while Woolley connected for a pair of goals within the first 26 minutes of play.

A Ferguson header in the waning minutes of the opening half gave the Warhorses a 4-0 advantage at the break. Woolley and Mobley established an insurmountable lead to begin the second frame. The performance was a reminder of the standards set by fourth-year head coach Trei Morrison, who has yet to see his Warhorses lose a game in conference play while notching a state championship and an appearance in the regional championship in his time on the sideline.

“Some people think we’re in a rebuilding year and that we might not be as competitive as we have in the past,” junior Lyle Sulzman said. “They’re wrong. We’re going to be right back up there.”

The Warhorses enter the campaign with only two players remaining from the 2022 squad that claimed the program’s first state title. Standouts like Davis Kendall, who scored more than 75 goals in his high school career, Owen Lollis and others have moved on. This year’s roster, which features seven seniors and one junior, is rounded out by a core group of experienced underclassmen.

“A lot of these guys who are sophomores got minutes as freshmen, and our juniors and seniors now are well-established in their roles,” Morrison said. “This team understands that people come and go, but the way we play remains the same.”

Owen has earned a reputation for its relentless defense and hard-charging offensive attack within a disciplined system that emphasizes smart decision-making. Those characteristics will, once again, represent the foundation of the program, according to the coach.

“Nothing changes with the way we go about our business, whether it’s counter-pressing, getting the ball, keeping the ball or just making good choices,” Morrison said. “This is a group of players who have a lot of belief in what we’re doing. They know how we want to play and exactly who we are.”

The Warhorses demonstrated their ability to execute the gameplan in the opener, according to Woolley, who recorded his 33rd career goal with program when he completed the hat trick.

“We have a great team, and starting the season with a win like this really boosts the morale of everyone,” he said. “We really want to send a message that we’re not to be taken lightly, we’re a team that wants to win every single game, no matter what.”

That dedication to maintain or exceed the standard of a program that is 50-6-6 since Morrison’s arrival in 2022 was reflected by the players’ approach to training in the offseason, according to the coach.

“It takes a lot of time and work to get the rhythm where it needs to be,” he said. “Whether we play direct and move forward quickly or possess the ball and move it around involves a lot of processing, and we’re asking 15-, 16- or 17-year-old kids to make those decisions in a heartbeat, so we spent all summer getting our fitness up so we can move constantly, with or without the ball.”

Players like Sulzman, who logged nearly 2,500 minutes in 35 games as a freshman and sophomore, are finding themselves in a new, more vocal role.

“I’m just making sure I put in the work, whether in the weight room or on the field, and being as locked in as possible in drills,” Sulzman said. “We have strong chemistry, because so many of us have been playing together since (Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association) or indoor soccer, so we’re really comfortable communicating with each other. It’s awesome to be out here competing with the people I’ve known for 10 years.”

The group, according to Morrison, possesses a “quiet confidence” that should increase over the course of the campaign.

“I think in the past, we’ve had teams that kind of carried our egos on our shoulders for everyone to see,” he said. “With these guys, there is a confidence in there, they know how we play and they’re proud to be a part of what we do, but they don’t necessarily exude it in the same way.”

Ultimately, according to Mobley, the results will speak for themselves.

“I think this is a team that’s capable of greatness,” he said. “If we can keep playing the way we played tonight, I think that’s going to be something more people realize. We just have to focus on continuously moving the ball, holding each other up and making sure we’re mentally prepared.”

The Warhorses, who have not lost a Western Highlands Conference match since March of 2020, were handed a road map to guide them toward a successful outcome this season, according to Morrison.

“Everybody wants to win their conference and make it to the playoffs, and yes, we want that, too,” he said. “But, we feel like we have a team capable of winning conference, setting ourselves up for a deep run in the playoffs and getting into the final four is definitely a goal.”

Woolley and his fellow seniors are encouraging their younger teammates to enjoy the ride.

“We all work very hard and we all want to do great things on this team,” he said. “But, if we’re not having fun, we won’t be able to be who we’re capable of being. I think if we’re out there having a good time together, we’re going to embrace doing the things we need to do to win.”

It is a challenge embraced by Sulzman.

“I’m excited for us to prove some people wrong and, hopefully, win a state championship,” he said.

Photos of the Owen 2025 soccer season opener can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.