Leesville Road sends off legendary soccer coach with special senior night

By Kyle Morton, HighSchoolOT producer

Raleigh, N.C. — Leesville Road soccer kicked off Wednesday night's match against Enloe with plenty of motivation.

A win over the Eagles would assure the Pride a share of the CAP-6 conference title and improve its positioning for the upcoming playoffs.

Sure enough, an abundance of motivation was on display right away. Goal, goal, goal. Less than six minutes in, the Pride held a 3-0 lead.

There was tangible elation in the air after each goal as it became more and more clear that the conference championship was in the grasp.

But that is only part of the story of what happened in northwest Raleigh on Wednesday night, and the roaring motivation the Pride played with came from much more than their positioning in the conference standings.

After 30 years of coaching both soccer programs at Leesville Road, Wednesday night was head coach Paul Dinkenor's regular season finale. It was the last time the beloved community figure was guaranteed to patrol his home sideline.

As it was senior night, every senior on the team was honored at halftime. After the game, a 5-0 win, it was Dinkenor's turn to be recognized.

"Happy," Dinkenor said when asked of his emotional response to the proceedings. "Happy and sad. Just some great people here... It's just been a great day."

Dinkenor's 30 years coincide with Leesville Road's opening in 1993, making him the only soccer coach the school has had.

"We started off we had people mostly from Millbrook, Broughton and Sanderson," Dinkenor recalled. "I think when the school opened not many people wanted to come here, because those are great schools."

After five wins in his first year, Dinkenor and the team won 18 games and made the third round of the playoffs in year two.

"That just set the tone," he said. "That's been a trademark of our program. Although we've won a lot, we've stayed humble. We've always worked hard... and they're just great people."

Former players of all ages returned to Leesville on Wednesday to be a part of a celebration that came as a surprise to Dinkenor, with many sticking around after the game and ceremony to take pictures and reminisce.

"Had no clue they were coming," Dinkenor explained. "I don't do social media, so I had no clue at all... These are great people first who have become really good wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, and it's just great to see everyone. I couldn't have seen everything sweeter."

It's often said that the measure of a high school coach goes beyond wins and losses and truly lies in the effect they have on their players, but it's rarely as abundantly evident as it was Wednesday of a coach having that effect over a sustained time.

Dinkenor's retirement comes at a nice, round number of years, but it's not an accident that it coincides with the graduation of his son Camden. Dinkenor's daughter Chelsea also played for his team and graduated in 2020.

"He's my hero without a doubt," Camden said. "I see him more than anybody in my whole life, and I don't take that for granted... I hope we and I can continue to make him proud as the season goes on."

"It's not easy when your dad's the coach," Paul said. "You're harder on your own child than anybody else. He's done a very good job of leadership. He's had a very good, solid season... and we're still playing, so I'm very happy for him."

While Wednesday night felt like the end of something, the season is very much still on for the Pride, who await to find out their seeding spot in the 4A state playoffs in which they are assured of inclusion.

Consecutive losses to Cardinal Gibbons and Athens Drive early in the conference schedule made a title or share of it feel very distant, but the Pride won 7 of 8 down the stretch to battle back.

"Now we're here, and there's no looking back," Camden said. "It's just on to the next at this point, survive and advance."