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Dominion Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- Dominion Post
BOYS' SOCCER PREVIEW: Trinity returns core of team that was one win shy of state tourney
MORGANTOWN — The Trinity Christian soccer team was one win away from earning a trip to the Class AA/A state tournament last season. The Warriors reached the Region I championship before falling 2-0 to the eventual state champion, East Fairmont, ending their 2024 campaign in heartbreak at East-West Stadium. Trinity returns a season later with a strong nucleus of experienced players on the roster who have three years of varsity experience for head coach Dan Lohmann and his program, making the upcoming campaign one the Warriors are excited for. 'We have a very strong group of seniors who've been in our program for multiple years now,' Lohmann said. 'It's already been a lot of fun to be with this group and to see how they've grown in a short amount of time. They're great kids, and they work hard. We look forward to getting started with some games.' Trinity Christian begins the 2025 season by hosting Notre Dame at 7 p.m. on Aug. 22. Two of the key players returning for the Warriors are Nathan Adams and Austin Porta, who will provide the attacking threat. Midfielder Jakub Gallik will also be back for TCS, a player able to command the midfield and dictate the play for his team. Brayden Clampfer provides a stable defensive presence on the left side. Parker Hopkins returns between the posts as one of the top goalkeepers in the state in any class. 'Parker has the mindset of being fearless,' Lohmann said. 'That's what you need to excel as a keeper. He is a true leader who sees everything on the field at all times, and it's very important to have the confidence that he does. He's a commanding presence in the box and raised his level of play tremendously last year for us.' Hopkins was selected as one of two goalkeepers on the Class AA/A all-state first team and finished runner-up in the Goalkeeper of the Year voting. 'We started to establish the true culture of the team when I started here,' Lohmann said. 'These seniors are now the ones who really take on the responsibility of making sure we are doing what we need to do to prepare successfully. We love seeing them lead their teammates and be encouraging to one another.' The Warriors had some unexpected roster gaps this season, which they filled with players who have limited experience. But Lohmann says that's exactly who his team has grown to be over the years. 'That's just the DNA of who our team has become,' he said. 'We have players who have experience playing at high levels of travel soccer and players who have barely touched the field before. I think some teams are surprised when they see the size of our school, and then see how competitive we actually are on the field. It's a credit to the players and their focus and dedication to themselves and to each other.' MORGANTOWN HIGH KEY PLAYERS: Ray Hanif (Sr.), Cam Wheeler (Sr.), Anthony Vessecchia (Jr.) OPENING MATCHES: Aug. 20 at Buckhannon-Upshur, Aug. 23 at Woodrow Wilson, Aug. 26 vs. Bridgeport PRESTON HIGH KEY PLAYERS: Skyler Wilson (Sr.), Coen Thomas (Jr.), Evan Livengood (Sr.) OPENING MATCHES: Aug 16 vs. Jefferson, Aug. 22 at Berkeley Springs, Aug. 26 at Keyser UNIVERSITY HIGH KEY PLAYERS: Davion Huckaby (Sr.), Andrew Ballard (So.), Baret Shuba (Jr.) OPENING MATCHES: Aug. 20 at Lewis County, Aug. 23 at Brooke, Aug. 26 at Parkersburg South
Dominion Post
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Trinity Christian softball to make first state tournament appearance in program history
MORGANTOWN – When the Trinity Christian High School softball team takes the field on Wednesday morning in Game 1 of the 2025 WVSSAC Class A state softball tournament, they will do so with confidence and with pride. The Warriors enter the week as the Region I champion and will face off against top-ranked Pendleton County (29-2) at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday to begin play. 'For the players to have reached this point to be among the final four teams is remarkable,' TCS assistant coach Dan Lohmann said, who will act as head coach at the state tournament due to scheduling conflicts with head coach Bryan Phillips. 'There has been a steady build of the program, and I'm not sure we thought this would be possible in our fourth year since the program restarted. That just speaks to the player's belief in themselves and their teammates.' The Warriors are making their inaugural appearance in the state tournament, marking a significant milestone for a program that was reestablished just four years ago. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Trinity Christian School (TCS) secured only a single victory. Before the current season, the program's most recent sectional championship occurred in 2010. Trinity concluded the regular season ranked ninth in the MetroNews Coaches Poll. 'We want our girls to have the same approach of being resilient and to stick together when things aren't going our way,' Lohmann said. 'They have been able to come back from some type of deficit in all five games this postseason. Sometimes when the stage is bigger, we feel like we have to do more, but we want them to have the mindset of doing the same things that got us here.' Pendleton County enters the tournament as the Region II champion. The Wildcats have held the top spot in the MetroNews Coaches Poll for the final three weeks of the regular season and lead the state with 29 victories. Their only two losses have come against state tournament qualifiers from higher classifications. The Wildcats have outscored their postseason opponents by a combined margin of 57-4 over four games. 'Pendleton County is an excellent team,' Lohmann said. 'We need to be able to play sound defense, communicate clearly, and take advantage of any opportunities we may have at the plate.' TCS finished regular-season play with an 8-10 record and was in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Despite this, the Warriors have demonstrated a remarkable turnaround, compiling a perfect 5-0 record in sectional and regional competition. In their regional championship victory over Magnolia, Trinity overcame a three-run deficit in the seventh inning to secure a 9-8 win. The Warriors are currently averaging 8.6 runs per game. Josalyn Phillips leads the team offensively with a batting average of .479, along with a team-high eight home runs and 33 runs batted in. Pitcher Paige Hopkins enters the state tournament with a 3.64 earned run average. While some may say the Warriors will be happy just to be making an appearance, Lohmann knows his players have a fire in them to win games, and the state tournament does nothing but stoke the flames. 'I think these girls have enjoyed proving something to themselves and being able to stand tall with other top-notch programs,' he said. 'We have asked them to take steps in overcoming challenges throughout the entire year, and to watch that grow in these players and the team has been incredibly rewarding.'
