Mid-Prairie's Trimpe scores 18th goal in senior night win

By Douglas Miles
Posted 5/17/23

The countdown began at the end of April.

“I’m the one that brought it up,” Mid-Prairie boys’ soccer coach Wyatt Cady said.

Back in the day, Cady poured in 42 goals …

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Mid-Prairie's Trimpe scores 18th goal in senior night win

Posted

The countdown began at the end of April.

“I’m the one that brought it up,” Mid-Prairie boys’ soccer coach Wyatt Cady said.

Back in the day, Cady poured in 42 goals during his four years (2011-14) as a player for the Golden Hawks’ boys’ soccer team. That number ranks second in program history (well behind his former teammate Austin Errthum), so when he noticed his current pupil Owen Trimpe bearing down on that mark, the first-year head coach felt obliged to speak up.

“I had to say something,” Cady said after Mid-Prairie closed the regular season with a 6-1 rout of Bellevue in a River Valley Conference match Friday at the Wellman Rotary Soccer Fields. “If he goes on a scoring tear, that is awesome.”

With Mid-Prairie already up on Bellevue, 2-0, Trimpe found the back of the net in the 32nd minute for a team-best 18th time this season and 42nd in his prep career, bringing the senior even with his coach.

“I think he is kind of mad,” Trimpe said with a laugh. “He is not happy about it, especially when I did it in three (seasons) and he did it in four.”

Trimpe could move into sole possession of second place in school history if he scores in Mid-Prairie’s Class 2A substate quarterfinal match against Grinnell (3-10) Monday at 7:30 at William Penn University in Oskaloosa.

“That is kind of what is pushing me right now,” Trimpe said. “Since the end of the season was coming and I have been getting more goals here and there, I started catching up with him.”

Trimpe was one of three seniors that scored against Bellevue on Mid-Prairie’s “Senior Night.” Midfielder/forward Noah Ford posted a hat trick with three scores, including a pair of penalty-kick conversions in the second half.

Senior Evan Phillips scored for the second time this season in the 30th minute.

“It means a real lot,” Phillips said. “I have only been in soccer for three years. It is a big thing if you score your last goal on ‘Senior Night’ and then use that for the postseason.”

Junior Tucker Miller added a goal and an assist for Mid-Prairie (9-6, 6-4 RVC), which finished sixth in the River Valley Conference and has won six of its last eight matches.

“All the kids, they were just locked in,” Cady said. “Didn’t matter where you threw them on the field, they were just ready to get out there, be physical, play some soccer. When the weather starts getting nice like this, it just completely changes the game. It’s not raining, we’re not wearing three layers of clothes, we’re warm when we show up. This is what soccer is supposed to be. This is soccer weather.”

A win Monday against Grinnell would send Mid-Prairie to a 2A substate semifinal match at No. 13 Knoxville (8-5) on May 22 at 6:30.

“Going into a game on a win, it’s always good,” Trimpe said. “You’ve just got that confidence because you just came off of a 6-1 win. It ought to do something for us.”