Seeing double: Twin soccer standouts for Murray County High sign with Truett McConnell University

Published 8:15 am Saturday, April 19, 2025

As an identical twin, Murray County resident Seth Hendrickson said he has “done things together” with his brother Jakob their entire lives, especially when it comes to the soccer field.

Playing the sport since they were 6, the brothers have been a standout duo for Murray County High School’s boys soccer team for the past three years. On Wednesday, both seniors signed to continue their passion for the sport as members of Truett McConnell University’s men’s soccer squad beginning in August.

“I’m very excited,” Jakob Hendrickson said. “We’ve been working very hard to get to the college level. We’ve gone through the whole recruitment process for the past several years, so it feels really good to secure that next step for us in our journey.”

Seth Hendrickson said being able to play soccer at the collegiate level alongside his brother was “something to look forward to.”

“It’s been something that we’re anticipating, really ever since we first looked at the (campus) our sophomore year,” he said.

First visiting Truett McConnell and taking part in recruiting events and ID camps in 2023, the brothers toured the campus twice more during their junior and senior years.

As Murray County’s standout goalkeeper, Jakob Hendrickson has been “vital” in that position, said assistant coach Fred Gould.

“Anybody who has seen our team play knows the value that Jakob brings to the goal as a keeper,” Gould said. “I truly believe that he’s the best goalkeeper in our region.”

As a junior, Jakob Hendrickson was named to the Dalton Daily Citizen’s Region 7-2A second team and the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s Class 2A All-State second team.

As a defender at center-back, Seth Hendrickson was named to the Dalton Daily Citizen’s Region 7-2A second team and was a Class 2A All-State honorable mention for the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association.

The Hendricksons helped anchor an Indians defense that produced four shutouts during the 2024 season.

For the 2025 season, the Indians had a 9-8 record as of Thursday afternoon in Region 7-2A.

“I think the word ‘invaluable’ is a fair descriptor of these two young men,” Gould said. “When it comes to their performance on the field, you couldn’t ask for a more stable, calm, cool and collected individual than Seth to be the leader of your defense. He has performed in that role almost flawlessly. We have been truly fortunate to have these two young men as part of our program.”

Gould said he is “not surprised” to see the Hendricksons continue their soccer-playing aspirations at Truett McConnell once they graduate from Murray County High in May.

“They have expressed interest in playing beyond high school since I’ve known them during their sophomore years,” he said. “They also help captain the team as seniors and we couldn’t find two more perfect examples of what we look for in our captains and in our team leaders. They have exceeded any and all expectations.”

Jakob Hendrickson said he is looking forward to protecting the goal for Truett McConnell, a private Baptist college in Cleveland, Georgia.

Competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Appalachian Athletic Conference, the university’s men’s soccer team is coached by Scott Borchers and Alex Buchman.

“From the very beginning, we knew soccer was the sport for us,” Jakob Hendrickson said. “We knew that was something we wanted to do for as long as possible.”

Seth Hendrickson said that dream is something he “always chased after.”

“It started when we were 6 and since then we’ve played (club soccer) on a team with the Chattanooga Football Club and on the Chattanooga Red Wolves’ semipro team,” he said.

Both brothers said choosing Truett McConnell was easy.

“It wasn’t about just the soccer side of things,” Jakob Hendrickson said. “We really wanted to focus on our schooling, too. Truett McConnell has a really good Christian environment and that’s one of the big things for us. And that’s evident not just for the school, but for the soccer team as well. They put a big emphasis on building a really good team culture there.”

Seth Hendrickson said he places a “big emphasis” on factors outside of the men’s soccer program as well.

“I’d say most soccer players of course want to go to a (Division 1 or Division 2) school, but you know with this being a smaller school, I feel like the emphasis is still on soccer, but also the team itself. There’s a focus on relationships and faith, which is the most important. They said that’s the number one thing they focused on with their players, so I think that’s important and it was really impactful for me.”

The brothers plan on majoring in the exercise science program.

“We’re really interested in studying and working towards physical therapy and athletic training,” Jakob Hendrickson said. “I think that would be very beneficial.”