By ERIC HERTER
MORGANTOWN — Iron-man football was the norm in the early era of the sport.
Players were featured on both offense and defense, and lauded for their athletic ability and endurance.
So, what is it called when five members of the Trinity Christian football and soccer programs play and start for both teams?
Is it iron-man football or futbol?
Maybe it’s just pure skill, endurance and athleticism that better describes what these five local student athletes are doing.
“It’s a little extreme,” Trinity football coach Christopher Simpson said. “We are making the most out of our numbers. As far as what we have at the school.”
With an enrollment of about 70 total kids in the school from elementary to high school, both Simpson and soccer coach Dan Lohmann knew they were going to have to get creative to play both sports, at the same time.
“We talked a lot about that,” Lohmann, in his first year as Warriors soccer coach, said. “We knew it was going to be difficult. But we were willing to work with each other, and push through some things for the success of both programs.”
Jaylon Hill, a sophomore, is the starting quarterback and linebacker for the Trinity football team. He also plays left back on defense, for the Warriors’ soccer team.
“I just really have fun playing sports,” Hill said. “Sports is basically my life. My freshman year, I wanted to know if I could play soccer and football together, and we made it work.”
What’s even more crazy than playing two sports at the same time is that Hill had never played soccer until his freshman year. In fact, he isn’t the only member of the iron-man crew for the Warriors that is new to a sport.
Josiah Sheftstall, a senior, is brand-new to football this year. He starts on the offensive and defensive line for the Warriors and starts as the center back on the soccer team’s defense.
“This year, I am just trying to do as much as I can,” Sheftstall said. “I had originally planned to run cross-country because I did that in middle school and really enjoyed it. But the soccer and cross-country schedule really overlapped.”
That’s when a twist of fate — or maybe divine intervention — stepped in, as Sheftstall’s father is friends with Simpson, and the football coach convinced Josiah to give this new sport a try.
“I was a bit nervous at first,” Sheftstall said. “I didn’t know what to really expect. I was hurting the next day (after his first game), but it was fun.”
Ben Lohmann is a sophomore starting goalkeeper for the Warriors’ soccer team and son of coach Lohmann. He is also a starting wide receiver and cornerback for Trinity’s football team.
Yes, soccer has always been big in the Lohmann house as Dan played soccer at Morgantown High and is a member of the Mohigans’ Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments with the sport. But football has also been a big sport for Ben.
“I started playing football midway through my eighth-grade year,” Ben Lohmann said. “I really enjoy playing both sports. Soccer is probably my favorite, but it does change. I have a deep love for football.”
That love comes somewhat naturally as former University High standout wide receiver Jack Armstrong was his neighbor, and Armstrong is now the tight ends coach at the College of William & Mary.
Another member of the sophomore class, and the iron-man crew, is wide receiver and safety Carmelo Kniska. He also doubles as a starting forward on Trinity’s soccer team. He began playing football at age 4, and along with Hill and Ben Lohmann, has been playing both sports for the Warriors for two seasons now.
“Being a smaller school, you have to play multiple sports,” Kniska said. “I think it brings out a better love for the sport than you might have at another school.”
The veteran iron man for the Warriors is Kyle Knight. He has been playing soccer since he was 4 or 5 and football since the eighth grade. Knight has played both sports at Trinity since his freshman year.
The transition between soccer and football was a little easier for Knight, though, as he started out as only a kicker and punter. However, he has since added wide receiver and cornerback to his repertoire, along with being a starting forward or midfielder on the soccer team.
“I have to put some things I want to do away early,” Knight said of managing his time between the two sports. “If my friends want to go do something, I have to say no, because you have to stay healthy when you are doing all of this stuff.”
A typical day for these five includes arriving for a 7 a.m. start to school and then heading straight to soccer practice when school finishes at 3 p.m. All five then practice with the soccer team for an hour before moving to the football practice until 6 p.m. Between the practices, the five athletes change gear in the bleachers at Trinity.
If there is a game in one of the sports, all five go to the game and miss the practice of the other sport. This past weekend was a great example of the dedication these five have.
The football team drove two hours from Morgantown on Friday to play Racine Southern in Ohio. Trinity picked up a 30-0 victory and then the iron-man crew immediately drove two more hours to St. Clairsville, Ohio, for the OVAC championship contest to be played the next afternoon.
If it all sounds confusing, that’s because it can be — even for the most organized person.
“I carry about six bags with me to school,” Sheftstall said. “I carry a computer case, a bag for football, a bag for soccer, a bag for school in general, and then a big water jug.”
While these five aren’t the first to ever tackle this hectic schedule at Trinity, they are quickly becoming the most successful. The soccer team beat Linsly in the 1A/3A OVAC tournament to capture the school’s first-ever tournament title in the sport.
Meanwhile, the football team is off to a 2-0 start, featuring an air-raid offense that has helped keep these kids healthy.
“I think our offensive scheme has helped,” Simpson, in his second year as football coach, said. “The air-raid is all about quick, short passes. It’s my forte and I think it’s helped with limiting injuries. Defensively, we run a 4-2-5, so that also helps limit some contact as well. We couldn’t play a traditional power-I offense. So, the system does help in that aspect.”
Currently, the Warriors are ranked No. 4 in the latest WVSSAC football playoff rankings. That’s impressive considering the school is only in its third season, ever, of playing the sport. It’s also quite the turn-around from when Simpson arrived, and the school was ranked 42nd out of 43 schools.
They will host Cameron at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Mentally, it can be taxing,” Kniska said. “You just got to remember that this is your choice. You must remember the fun parts of it. We have tons, and tons of support from family, friends, coaches, and all the staff at the school.”
While that support is very much needed for these five athletes, Simpson said it’s the leadership they provide that truly stands out more than just their play on the field.
“Leadership bleeds down,” Simpson said. “All members of the football team cheer on the soccer team and the soccer team cheers the football team. I think it really teaches them to give all the effort they can on each play. I don’t know if (Hill, Knight, Kniska, Lohman, Sheftstall) will ever understand what it means to the program in general.”
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