From the Bench: After ACL Surgery, Church Looking to Bring Another Title to BHS with Chip on His Shoulder
By Jeff Toquinto on August 23, 2026 from Sports Blog
Usually, a chip on the shoulder is reserved for someone who has been slighted. It is reserved for someone whose goals went unmet. The chip is there because they have been bullied.
Finding someone who was a member of the 2025 Bridgeport High School boys soccer team to fit that bill may seem like a task. The Indians were far from slighted, they met their ultimate goal, and no one bullied them on their way to the school’s first-ever state
championship on the boys’ side of the ledger.
championship on the boys’ side of the ledger.
Yet, one player comes into the season with a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder. The unique thing is he does not fall under any of the criteria above, yet the chip is there.
The player? Senior Grayson Church.
Far from being slighted and far from bullied in 2025, he was considered one of the best soccer players in West Virginia regardless of class. Last year, he had 31 goals and 36 assists when his season ended.
It is when his season ended that a chip formed on Church’s shoulder. His season concluded Oct. 25. The boys soccer season ended Nov. 8.
Sound confusing? It is far from confusing.
On October 25 of last year, the Indians were defeating Hampshire by a 3-0 score at Wayne Jamison Field. It was an opening postseason matchup in the Class AAA Region II sectional semifinal.
It would be the last time Church would compete that year.
“It was about halfway through the game when it happened,” said Church. “I go for the ball and eventually planted my foot and went down. It felt like a bruise, so I went to the sidelines, warmed up, and told everyone I was good because I felt good.”
Five minutes later, everything changed. And things would prove to not be good – far from it.
“I was back in for about five minutes and felt fine. Tucker (Pomeroy) did a kickoff, and I received it out of the air and as soon as it touched my foot, my knee popped again. When I came down, there was another pop,” said Church. “I don’t remember hearing it but I remember feeling it. My teammate Adam Jackson said when I came down it sounded like a gun shot.”
There were no firearms on the scene, but there was still damage to Church. He said he was in pain for several minutes, severe pain in his right knee, as he eventually went to the training room at Jamison Field.
“I knew I was hurt. I thought it might be serious. The only thing I knew for sure was I wasn’t going to be playing the rest of the game,” said 
Church.
Church.
His teammate was not the only one that heard the knee. Current head coach and then-assistant coach Nathaniel Jones heard it on the sidelines.
“You could hear the knee. It sounded like a shotgun. I’m in the physical therapy field so it was immediately concerning, particularly after having came off the field just prior to that,” said Jones. “He was assessed on the first injury, felt good and went back in and everything seemed fine for several minutes.”
As it turned out, everything was not fine. Everything was far from fine.
“At the field, they told me they didn’t think it was an ACL tear,” said Church, who was able to get an x-ray on his knee quickly after the injury. “… An hour after the x-ray that night, they told me it was fully torn. I went from looking to play a role in getting our first title to two hours later knowing I had a fully torn ACL.”
Jones talked about the sudden quietness that came over the stadium when Church was helped off the field. After all, one of the state’s top soccer players on a team deep in experience and in talent was in a situation where his injury could end the dream of winning a state title.
Instead, the team rallied. Bridgeport followed with wins against Robert C. Byrd (4-0) in the regional championship, third-ranked Greenbrier
East (2-1 in OT) in the state semifinal and then knocked off top-ranked Nitro (3-1) to bring home the title.
East (2-1 in OT) in the state semifinal and then knocked off top-ranked Nitro (3-1) to bring home the title.
Church stood with the coaching staff. He helped with advice. He cheered on his teammates. And he was far from unhappy when it ended with championship hardware.
“At first, it was super hard seeing them out there and I wasn’t part of it but then watching them pulling it all together and keep winning was all I needed,” said Church. “When you add in the fact they were telling me they were playing for me, the sadness I was feeling went away.”
What did not go away after the title was hoisted was the injury. A day short of three weeks after he tore his ACL – on Black Friday no less – Church was at Marshall University getting his knee repaired.
On Nov. 28, Dr. Chad D. Lavender, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon and assistant professor, did the honors at Marshall Health.
“Everything went well with the surgery. The medical staff gave me a procedure to follow, and I started with physical therapy for two weeks to get stronger,” said Church.
Church said he noticed the therapy at Bridgeport Physical Therapy with Lawren Sandy was a huge help. Another immense help? He began training, getting stronger, and healing while working with Wes Brown at Gorilla Fitness.
“At the four-and-a-half month mark, my leg was at 90 percent. Six months after surgery, whenever I took my hop tests, my leg was stronger than before surgery,” said Church.
“Lawren Sandy was great to work with and Wes ended up being such a big part of my recovery,” said Church. “He pushed me every single day to get me physically ready.”
The next part was to get mentally ready. Church, admittedly, was nervous during early practices and scrimmages this year, but it has quickly become a memory.
“The first few times I was out there I was nervous. I was pulling out on tackles. I didn’t dribble on people like I was used to. Then, it just snapped, and my confidence was back,” said Church. “I’m back to normal. The hope is I’m better than normal.”
Part of what may push Church to be better, and hopefully the Indians’ 2026 version too, is that chip on his shoulder.
“I do have a chip on my shoulder. I put it there because when you have a major surgery people think you’re not as good, and with an ACL, there is the thought you’re not as athletic,” said Church. “I’m not going to let people think that after they watch me. I can do that by proving I’m better than I was.”
His coach believes he can be better than last year. That, even if healthy, would be a task.
“He’s looking good. You can tell he’s put a lot of hard work into it because his fitness level is excellent. The thing with this team is to find chemistry because you do that every year when you lose seniors and have new players filling new roles,” said Jones. “Grayson will find his role, and everyone will fill in around him and the other who are back. We’ve got a good shot this year, and Grayson figures to be a big part of that.”
In the season-opening game 10-0 win against Philip Barbour Wednesday, Church had three goals and an assist. The team visited Martinsburg Friday.
Now, the young man who has been playing since he was three years old at Bridgeport City Park, looks to end his prep soccer career by helping the Tribe to back-to-back titles. And he hopes that is not the end of his playing career.
“I plan to play in college, whether it’s D-III, D-II, or D-1, I want to keep playing. That will take care of itself. I’m focusing on this season and what I can bring to the team,” said Church.
You can count on Church to bring plenty. Part of what he will be bringing is a chip on his shoulder.
Editor's Note: Top and bottom photo, courtesy of Grayson Church shows him in rehab and prior to surgery, respectively. In the second photo, he is shown walking with former head Coach Keith Dumas after the team's regional championship win against Robert C. Byrd. The next two photos are action photos, by Joe LaRocca, from the 2025 season.
