PREP SOCCER: Trinity heading to national tournament

Trinity Christian’s soccer team did not expect to be in the position it is right now.

Despite back-to-back ICSGA championships, Trinity barely registered a blip on the radar of the National Association of Christian
Athletes, and the third-year program had certainly not gained enough notoriety to be invited to the organization’s yearly tournament.

That’s when the team got a little help from its rivals: Killian Hills Christian School out of Lilburn, Ga.

“They’ve taught us a lot about soccer and beaten us every year, and they invited us to play in their tournament. We tied them and won their tournament,” Trinity coach Dick Hayley said. “They had been going year after year, and when (the NACA) called and invited them, they said, ‘We didn’t even win our own tournament, so we’re not coming this year.’

‘“But Opelika Trinity beat us. Ya’ll may wanna invite them.’”

The NACA took Killian’s advice and extended an invitation to Trinity, which is heading to the tournament this week in Dayton, Tenn., thanks to more than $8,000 raised in a little less than a week from the community.

Trinity is playing in the middle division of three 12-team brackets in the tournament, which starts today and runs through Friday, against teams that Hayley said should provide a good challenge for his side.

But that’s not the only perk that goes along with participating in the national tournament.

“I hope it’ll let the community see that this school is a hidden treasure that nobody really knows about,” Hayley said. “Sports programs tend to get your name out a little bit, and I think this is a real treasure.”

It will also give a chance for a program that has grown by leaps and bounds to get a chance to shine on the national level.

Hayley had come over to Trinity after coaching soccer for 11 years at Ballard Christian, and the school wanted him to be the custodian of its fledgling program.

Senior defenseman/midfielder Harrison Weissinger was there when it all started three years ago.

Weissinger, along with midfielders Harrison Goodwin and James Hayley, and defensemen Gary Durbin and Gray Goodner, form the nucleus of a tight-knit Trinity group.

He said it’s a little bit different now than in the early days.

“There’s been so much growth,” Weissinger said. “I think it all ties in with being a close team.

“All these younger guys we’re playing with, you encourage them and they get better. We’re gonna continue to have a really good team with the way these guys are looking.”

Trinity won its first ICSGA championship last year, then topped it this season with another title and a 17-5-3 record.

Now, with a squad of 27 players and an undefeated JV squad, Trinity is looking toward even taller peaks in the future.

Starting with a good showing at this week’s tournament.

“Everybody’s improved this year, not from coaching or anything other than their own determination,” the head coach said. “It’s just been fun to sit and watch.”

Trinity headmaster Carl Warmouth said he isn’t so sure Hayley’s just been sitting and watching.

“He has just been a tremendous asset to our school and just in the lives of these guys here,” Warmouth said. “They’re going and getting to do something we probably would never have undertaken at such a small school. He doesn’t like the limelight, but he deserves to take some credit.”

Limelight lover or not, Hayley is leading his team to perform on the biggest stage of its short career.
Weissinger, for one, is ready.

“It’s really a great opportunity for a lot of these really talented guys to be seen by college scouts,” Weissinger said. “And it shows everybody in the community how serious this school takes its academics, but also every program that they do here.”

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