Athletics
Trinity Christian Wins State Title
November 1, 2008
Finishing the soccer season with a perfect 10-0 conference record, the Trinity Christian School boys varsity soccer team won the ICSGA state champaionship game against Alleluia Community School. As expected, both teams came prepared to win. Both teams were evenly matched and the intensity remained high throughout the entire game, which went into double overtime and was finally decided with penalty kicks.
Trinity struck first, early in the first half with a goal provided by James Haley. The score remained 1-0 until later in the second half when Allenluia snuck one past the goalie to even up the score. Both team's defenses were incredibly strong with impressive goal tending at both ends of the field. Trinity sophomore Harrison Godwin played goalie in the first half and thwarted several attempts by Alleluia to get one across the plane. In the second half, and throughout the overtimes, Michael Jenson played goalie.
At the end of regulation play the score remained 1-1 at which point the game went into a 10 minute overtime. With neither team being able to score, the game went into another nail-biting overtime. At the end of the second suspense-filled overtime, the score remained tied. All spectators were on their feet as the game went into a sudden-death penalty kick shootout. By the end of the shootout Trinity emerged as victors, allowing only two goals, while Trinity put four past Alleluia's goalie. Michael Jenson, Harrison Godwin, Gary Durbin, and Daniel Brownsfield all contributed to the score.
After the game, soccer commissioner Dennis McBride presented a trophy and banner to the school and several awards to individual players. Josh Hale was presented the all-conference MVP awared, while James Haley, Michael Jenson, Justin Hale, and Daniel Brownsfield were awarded all-state awards. During the presentation McBride acknowledged Trinity's incredible persistence. "I have watched these guys play this team three times this year," he said, "all three times they have come out on top, and all three times the thing that has impressed me the most is the way that they never give up. They play with the same level of intensity during the last minute of double overtime as they play with at the very beginning. This is a very young team, and they have only been in our conference one year. To achieve what they have is just incredible." Indeed it is, given the fact that Alleluia has held the state championship for ten years running prior to this year. Coach Dick Hayley had this to say about his team; "This is a tremendous victory for our soccer program. For a team to defeat Alleluia once over several years is good. To defeat them three times in one year is quite an accomplishment. These boys have worked hard all year. I'm very grateful to them and to everyone else involved."
The families of Trinity echo those sentiments to Coach Hayley.