Bristol Herald Courier | Tim Hayes
It was a moment that few could have envisioned back in 2009 when Honaker High School offered soccer as a varsity sport for the first time.
There on the artificial turf at Fuller Field on Tuesday night, Honaker celebrated a 2-1 victory over Auburn in the quarterfinals of the VHSL Class 1 boys state tournament.
Moments prior to that, Honaker’s girls had recorded a 2-1 win over George Wythe in a quarterfinal clash.
Both teams play state semifinal matches on Friday at Roanoke College’s Kerr Stadium in a milestone moment for futbol at a school that has long been known for its football success.
Wilburn Johnson has been around soccer since it was introduced at Honaker, coaching the girls team for 12 years and spending the last four years at the helm of the boys program.
He didn’t take that scene for granted as surreal as it might have been.
“Very excited and blessed that we have turned our soccer program into a consistent program,” Johnson said.