On August 28, behind head coach Jordan Heuglin, a solid coaching staff, and a strong senior core, the Trinity Varsity Soccer Rocks mercy-ruled district opponent Highlands Latin 8-0 this past Thursday night.
The scoring opened quickly in the first ten minutes of the match with goals from seniors Jackson Briley, Charles Johnson, and Marty Wicinski. Over the next twenty minutes, seniors Parker Warren and Will McCauley added to the tally. It looked like the Highlanders would go into the half down just 5-0 when junior Eliazar Alvarez scored two quick goals in the final five minutes: one in regular play and one on a penalty kick. After forty minutes, the halftime score was 7-0 in favor of the Rocks.
The second half started out a bit slower than the first. The Rocks only needed one more goal for the mercy rule, and they eventually got it from senior Cam Beard, ending the game with 26:43 left on the clock and sealing the 8-0 win.
Junior Connor Donohue got the start at goalkeeper for the Rocks, and the Trinity defense gave him a very easy day. He did not record a single save or goal allowed, as the defense barely let Highlands Latin cross midfield.
We caught up with senior left-wing Charles Johnson and senior midfielder Marty Wicinski after the game. Johnson commented, “Our mindset was just to get it done nice and quick and stay strong throughout the entire game.” When Wicinski was asked to describe the game, he replied, “Relentless.”
A major headline for the Rocks this year has been the return of Spanish teacher Walter Mata as a coach. Mata, now in an assistant role, was the head coach many years ago and led Trinity to its most recent state title in 1998 before stepping down. Mata’s loud voice is well-known in the school hallways, and he’s brought that same energy back to the pitch. Wicinski stated, “He brings a lot of energy to every practice, which is good for us.” At one point during the match, Mata shouted at a player. A parent of a Trinity player laughed and remarked, “If you mess up, he will let you know, which is good. He is helping us win.”
While the Rocks have never fallen to the Highlanders, it has not always been an easy road. Just two years ago, Highlands Latin took a 1-0 lead into the final twenty minutes of a regular season match before Trinity finally evened the score and eventually won 2-1 in overtime. The teams faced off again in the district championship later that season, where the Rocks escaped with a 2-0 victory. The Rocks wanted a different type of game this time around.
After a recent 3-0 win over Evansville Memorial (IN), the Rocks look ahead to the rest of the season, eyeing the long-awaited third state championship. Wicinski and Johnson made it clear that there is no other goal this season than capturing the title. As a senior, Wicinski emphasized that it is now the responsibility of his class to bring home a trophy. The Rocks look to build on their impressive 7-0 record as they work to return to the mountaintop of high school soccer this year. Next up, the varsity Soccer Rocks will be taking on Seneca High School at home tonight at 6:00.
Check out more photos below.
