Raleigh-area high school soccer team overcomes death of their coach — together

Players from the Apex High School boys soccer team huddled together at halftime of the NCHSAA 4A East final.

On the field where they knelt — the turf at game host Cardinal Gibbons High School — they’d fallen behind. Again.

Down 1-0 at the break, with a chance to reach the state final, Apex was frustrated. It had created scoring opportunities in the opening 40 minutes, but the Crusaders’ defense stymied every drive. When it seemed as though Apex was on the brink of the tying goal, the ball clanged right off the crossbar.

Gibbons’ Graydon Martin scored the lone goal of the opening half.

It’s tradition at Apex for the coaches to say a few words at halftime and then let the team leaders speak. Coach Lee Oglesby began by reminding the team they had been down before, and recently. In the Cougars’ win over Wake Forest in the East semifinal, they rallied from a 2-1 halftime deficit. Senior captain Seve Escoto said the huddle ended with the same tribute it had all season.

“This is for Coach Todd. Don’t forget what the season is about, boys.”

Tuesday marked the six-month anniversary of Apex boys and girls soccer coach Kevin Todd’s sudden death on Sept. 23, 2020, at 61 years old. The beloved coach graced the soccer fields at Apex for 30 years, forever leaving a mark on the school and the community. Apex wanted to reach the 4A championship for the first time since 2005; they wanted it for him.

“We had to win this for Coach Todd,” junior captain Jake Shannon said. “We only made it to this point because we were working for him.”

A new half

Apex entered the second half with newfound energy, knowing what was on the line. With 27 minutes remaining, junior Alexander Hornada took a free kick, sending an elevated pass to Shannon, who flicked the ball with his head past the diving Gibbons goalkeeper into the lower left corner of the cage.

The bench cleared in celebration — a tradition Todd had started.

“He (Todd) is the reason we’re playing, and he’s our motivation,” Escoto said. “Being down one goal, being down two goals, three goals, it didn’t matter. We were doing it for him, and we were going to get it back no matter what.”

A late goal by Gibbons’ Alec Perez put the Crusaders up with five minutes remaining — the storybook ending was not to be. Apex fell, 2-1.

The game — and the season — didn’t end the way they wanted, but throughout the Cougars’ 13-3 season they felt Todd’s spirit everywhere.

The team just wishes he could’ve been there.

“We would wake up at 5 a.m. for workouts because that’s just when he (Todd) wakes up, and that’s something that back then I was like, ‘Ugh, I have to wake up early again,’ ” senior captain Mason Keagy said. “But now, I would pay anything to just wake up and be back out on that track with him.”

Mentor. Friend. Companion.

Everyone in the Apex community knew Todd was a special man. He was hailed for his myriad athletic achievements, leading the boys soccer team to a 4A state championship in 2005 and repeating the feat with the girls team in 2007.

But Todd was more than just a coach. He was a mentor, a friend and a companion.

“The impact Coach Todd had on our school is so significant it can’t be replaced,” Tyler Roach said.

From the beginning, this season had its obstacles. With the pandemic canceling athletics through the summer and fall months, the captains stepped up to schedule individual workouts. Teammates met at Apex Nature Park for drills and scrimmages. The day Todd died, the team once again gathered at the park. This time, it was to commemorate the coach who meant the world to the young men.

“It became apparent that them being out on the field gave them some peace from the confusion and loss and heartache of losing Coach Todd,” Oglesby said. “It became an escape.”

Oglesby said he has never seen a team rally around each other like this Apex soccer team. He said it can be rare for teenage boys to show support and love so openly, but Oglesby knows it was just the spirit of Todd keeping them together as a family.

“They’re my brothers,” Escoto said. “We got through it together, playing soccer and keeping each other’s hopes up.”

As the final seconds ticked off the clock Tuesday, the players collectively put their heads down. It hurt, because their hearts wanted to win so badly for their beloved Coach Todd.

But they quickly raised their heads back up and weathered this loss the same way they had every moment throughout the season — together.

“I think Coach Todd would be very proud,” Roach said.

This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Raleigh-area high school soccer team overcomes death of their coach — together."