For one night, Walston family finds balance on the pitch
It’s been quite the balancing act for the Walston family the last several years.
Between Brent Walston meeting the demanding schedule requirements of both the athletic director and boys soccer positions at Corinth Holders High School, Catherine Walston fulfilling her teaching duties at North Johnston High School and their two sons, Graham and Ian, playing middle school and then high school soccer, indoor soccer during the winter, travel soccer and sometimes refereeing on the weekends, it’s been tough to keep tabs on everyone, yet alone get everyone to where they need to be.
But Wednesday at North Johnston, it was as if all the planets aligned for one night as all four members of the Walston family were at the same field at the same time.
Perhaps it was fitting then that the Panthers (5-4-2) and Pirates (6-3-2), despite battling against each other in a wide-open, end-to-end match, finished in a scoreless tie.
“It was really weird playing against him,” Ian Walston said of going up against his father for just the second time in his four years at North Johnston. “I’m sad that we didn’t come out with the wi,n but I was glad that they didn’t beat us.
“I mean; it can’t get any better than that.”
A matter of logistics
Brent Walston had always thought about the possibility of coaching his sons at the high school level. The coaching veteran in his 26th season admitted as much.
“As a high school soccer coach, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that when the boys started playing soccer, I thought it would be great to be able to coach them as high school soccer players,” said Walston. “But I would also be able to tell you that I have been extremely pleased with the coaching they have gotten and with their high school soccer experience.”
The decision for Ian, a senior, and Graham, a freshman, to play their high school soccer at North Johnston wasn’t an easy one to make.
The start times for Wilson County schools, where the Walstons call home, when compared with when their mother needed to be at work, dictated that going to North Johnston Middle School was the only feasible option, but each child was allowed the choice of high schools once graduating eighth grade.
With the family growing up in Wilson (Brent and his wife Catherine met there on Catherine’s first day of teaching at Hunt High School), Graham and Ian had the chance to play at Hunt with childhood and church friends, at North Johnston where their mother is a teacher and their North Johnston Middle School friends attend and at Corinth Holders where their dad is the soccer coach.
Attending Corinth Holders would have meant that the brothers had to stay long after soccer practices and games ended while their dad fulfilled his athletic director responsibilities.
For Graham, the choice came down to wanting to stay with his friends from middle school, while Ian knew the smaller community school atmosphere at North Johnston was what fit him the best.
Still, with their father working 25 miles from home and late hours on some nights, it was difficult for Catherine to make sure the boys were where they needed to be.
“Stressful doesn’t really describe it; every parent that drives their kids around would have the exact same stress,” said Walston. “This year is better because Graham is at this high school and I teach here and Ian is here. So there are days when we just bring one car and there are days when we bring two and since Ian can drive, it makes it easier.”
Evenly matched
Graham was pulled up from junior varsity for the game and played several minutes in the first half on the left side of the field in front of his brother. The brothers nonchalantly worked a couple of one-two passes together, like they had done countless times before growing up as kids, and although Graham worked himself into a dangerous scoring position on one of his older brother’s long throw-ins late in the first half, the pair’s time together ended with them on level footing with their father’s team.
“It was good because this is the last time I’ll get to play with (Ian) and against our Dad so it was really fun,” said Graham.
Ian, coming off of a 42-goal, 32-assist campaign last season, played left back as opposed to up in the attacks as usual, a tactical change that was kept even from him until moments before kickoff.
“Ian knew one minute before game time that he was back there,” North Johnston coach Jody Edwards said with a grin ever present. “I didn’t want to spill the beans early because maybe it would slip out at home. ... I wanted to surprise the other coach.”
Each team ended the night with five shots on goal. Pirates sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Mills came up with the play of the game when he came off his line to turn away the Panthers’ Alexis Hernandez who was in alone on a breakaway in the 74th minute.
For one night, Brent didn’t need his wife to send him text updates of how his sons’ games were going as he could look across the field to see the brothers holding their own.
“This was a very unique game for me, something I’ve never experienced before with them on the sidelines and on the field; it was very emotional for me,” Walston said. “I tried to keep the emotions in check and I told the boys on the team that this was just Corinth Holders versus North Johnston.”
A special end
Well before the game kicked off, Catherine Walston knew it would be an emotional one and a night to remember.
“I recognize this is going to be the last time they’re going to be on the field together and I know how special that is,” Catherine said. “I do recognize that this is a great opportunity for the three of them to be together and they have gotten so much out of playing soccer.
“To have this with their dad on the other side is just really special.”
When asked what the mood would have been like at home if the Panthers had upended Corinth Holders, Ian and Graham looked at each other and smiled.
“I hope he would have gotten in,” said Ian, “after we went to bed.”
This story was originally published September 16, 2016 at 6:23 AM with the headline "For one night, Walston family finds balance on the pitch."