Trinity Christian is vying for its fifth state title this week and its second in the last five years.
The Crusaders (10-1) roll into Asheville for Friday’s NCISAA football championship on the home field of defending champion The Asheville School (7-3) with a talent-filled roster and a seven-game winning streak.
But none of that happens without the gains this squad has made in terms of bigger-than-the-game ideals.
“When you think all the way back to our first day of practice, to see how far we’ve come in terms of toughness, maturity, overcoming challenges, all those areas, there’s been a tremendous amount of growth with this team,” coach Chuck Webster said ahead of Friday’s matchup.
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When Webster tackles a challenge, he goes all in. “Football is a microcosm of life,” he says, and when he prepares his team for the game, they’re learning principles that will guide them well beyond their playing days.
“Climb those mountains and be successful,” he says. “That’s why I do this.”
It makes sense then that Webster has taken a set of star-powered individuals and wound up with a unified team ready to claim a state title.
Two quarterbacks transferred to Trinity Christian this season with proven resumes in Elijiah Oehkle and Xayden Watson. Oehkle threw for 536 yards in 10 games as a sophomore at 6-4 Gray’s Creek last season, averaging 16.8 yards per catch and passing for five touchdowns. He also ran for 160 yards, including a 47-yard carry, and a TD.
Watson came from Pine Forest, where he ranked third in the All American Conference in total yards with 1,925 — 1,204 passing, 721 rushing in 13 games. He also was the Trojans’…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/trinity-christian-football-looks-knock-090734512.html
Author : The Fayetteville Observer
Publish date : 2023-11-16 09:07:34
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