From left, John Blake, Coach Stephen Ewasko and Coach John Blake at the Clash of the Carolinas game. — John Blake

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When senior Omar Brahim walked off the soccer field last November, he thought that was the last time he would ever represent West Forsyth in a game. 

That changed two months later after John Blake, who had just finished his first season as head coach at West Forsyth, came up to Brahim with a message. Blake was already announced as the head coach for the boys for North Carolina in the Clash of the Carolinas, which is an all-star game between players from North Carolina and South Carolina. Blake told Brahim that he was chosen to play for North Carolina in the game played this past Saturday at OrthoCarolina Sportsplex in Pineville.

“It’s a great feeling for sure,” Brahim said. “I love Blake, so it was a great opportunity for him to coach me again.”

According to Brahim, who signed to play at Converse University in Spartanburg, S.C., he didn’t even know that Blake had nominated him for the team.

“It was a good feeling,” Brahim said. “It is like the best of North Carolina and South Carolina. It’s just a really good feeling. It really makes you think that all the hard work that I’ve been through, two or three years of all the hardships I’ve been through, that it finally paid off, not to a full extent, but to an extent.”

Blake was happy to give Brahim the good news, especially after he helped lead the Titans to an overall record of 21-2-2 and 12-1-1 in the Central Piedmont 4-A.

“I’ve been in the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association for 15 years, and the selection process works as the chairs from each region nominate the top players from the region,” Blake said. “So, Omar and Alex Bhutia (Mount Tabor) were the top players from our region coming out, so they both got nominated. And you have to be All-State to be selected.”

Ever since graduation in May, Brahim has prepared himself for the upcoming college season. He and Blake drove down separately on Friday to Pineville.

“I got there Friday at 12. We had a training session. lunch and then a training session from 2 to 4 (p.m.). and then we had dinner at 6, and we went to an arcade at 8,” Brahim said. “And then, our game was at 12 on Saturday.”

Once on the field for the training session, there was a familiarity between Blake and Brahim.

“It was nice. It was comfortable,” Blake said. “He was a player that I knew we could put at multiple positions. And he’s very dependable, and we knew what we were getting with Omar.”

Being with Blake was the cherry on top for Brahim.

“It was great,” Brahim said. “He always pushes me to my max. And I really am appreciative towards him. I told him that all the time. I appreciate what he’s done for me. Yeah, it was a great feeling having him coach you one more time. It was great.”

The coach-player relationship is good for both.

“It’s nice to have a good bond, especially with my first season at West,” Blake said. “We came in kind of together, and it was nice to have him not just be a great player, but just a familiar face and somebody that I could hold accountable but he could help me hold the standard for West soccer.”

South Carolina won the game 2-1, and although he wanted to win, Brahim, who is a defenseman, saw plenty of action.

“It was a good feeling because there were a lot of people there,” he said. “So, it was just a good feeling.”

Brahim enjoyed playing for Blake one last time and Blake enjoyed coaching Brahim one last time, especially after West Forsyth lost to Charlotte Catholic 2-1 on Nov. 12 in the second round of the NCHSAA Class 4-A playoffs. 

“It was nice,” Blake said. “He’s going to play college soccer at Converse in South Carolina, and it’s nice to see him finish out his prep career. The last time was really tough because it was our last game at West — tough loss. But this time he was able to enjoy it and play with some really, really good players.”

It was also special because Brahim was playing for his state rather than a particular region.

“It was really special to me,” he said. “Even in the locker room before the game I was really happy with myself. It was a great deal. Everybody was smiling, no care in the world, like it was a nice summer day. About to go to college. 

“You know, we work hard for this, so why not just smile and try to get the win. And unfortunately we came up short, but like I said, it was still a great feeling, a great opportunity that you worked this hard and you’re getting acknowledged and awarded by playing in this game.”

Unlike in November when Brahim thought it was his last high school game as a player, Saturday’s Clash of the Carolinas really was his last high school game.

“It was a good feeling, a little bit sad at the same time, the same feeling I had when we lost in the playoffs,” Brahim said. “But, then again you realize it’s an all-star game, so, my high school career’s been over. This is the final touch. But, it was a good feeling for sure.”

It was also a good time for Blake to coach the game and watch the players from North Carolina, but he also got an opportunity to meet the coaches from South Carolina, as well as the players from that state.

“It was really cool to have all the guys in the state that I’ve known and competed against, along with Omar, we were able to make some good friendships and create some good opportunities moving forward,” said Blake.

Brahim said he reports to Converse in early August to prepare for the fall season.

“I’m excited,” he said. “It’s a nice school in general. So on the aspect of school I’m excited, but also the aspect I’m going there to play like the sport I love.”