Indianapolis Star
NOBLESVILLE — Noblesville girls soccer coach Mike Brady wasn't planning to arrive early for last year's Class 3A state championship game at IUPUI's Michael A. Carroll Stadium. But Meredith Tippner ask Brady if he'd change his mind since her older brother, AJ Tippner, was playing in the championship game with the Millers' boys team. The long-time head coach didn't want his players getting too hot or worn out, the junior forward recalled, but "he knew the importance of family and the connection between the two programs," and brought them to the field.
The boys successfully defended their state title vs. Columbus North, then the girls topped rival Carmel to win their third championship in four seasons shortly thereafter.
Noblesville Millers Atley Pittman, Lily Ault, Sam Holland, Max Reason, Meredith Tippner, and Cole Thompson pose for a photo on August 9, 2023 at White River Elementary Soccer Complex in Noblesville. Grace Hollars / IndyStar
"Being able to see AJ compete and be able to win it, it was like, 'OK, he did it. Now it's my turn,'" said Tippner, who has 22 goals and five assists this season.
The Noblesville soccer programs have followed similar trajectories since the mid-2010s.
Following semistate losses to Penn in 2016 and 2017, the Miller girls strung together a 55-game unbeaten streak between 2019-21 that included two state championships, then claimed the program's third title last season.
Though more recent, the boys' run has been no-less prolific with coach Ken Dollaske's team securing championships in both of the program's finals appearances (2021-22).
"Their success is our success and vice versa," Dollaske said. "We see them succeed and it makes us want to succeed even more. It's just two very competitive programs pushing each other to be the best."
The Millers return to Michael A. Carroll Stadium on Saturday for the 3A state soccer championships.
The top-ranked boys (17-0-5) will try to join North Central as the only boys teams to win three straight championships against No. 11 Cathedral (17-4-2) at 4 p.m. A couple hours later, the No. 3 Noblesville girls (16-1-3) will defend their title against No. 11 Bloomington South (18-2-1).
Should Noblesville sweep the boys and girls soccer state championships, it would join Evansville Memorial as the only schools to do so multiple times (2008, 2017).
"We've created a culture of success (with both programs) where players come into the program and they know what's expected of them," Brady said. "They know the bar is set awfully high and they know they're absolutely going to have to earn their spot. I've watched our culture over the years, and I've certainly seen what coach Dollaske has created (with the boys) and that same culture has put them in position to win Saturday."
That success draws players to the program, Dollaske added. It's been sustained by the culture component, with the upperclassmen setting the tone for their teammates, current and future, as well as their younger siblings.
Junior IU commit Atley Pittman (seven goals, seven assists) remembers going to her older sister's games, hoping to one day have the opportunity to play for the Millers.
When Tippner's dad would ask her what she wanted to do in high school, the multi-sport standout would reply: "I want to play varsity soccer and I want to win a state championship."
"I had seen girls do it before and I wanted to be like them," Tippner said.
Junior midfielder Lily Ault (five goals, seven assists) recalls watching her older brother, Butler sophomore Palmer Ault, lead Noblesville to its first state championship as a senior in 2021. He has been an inspiration, someone to look up to, Lily said. "And when they won their state championship, I wanted to be part of something like that."
Named Indiana Mr. Soccer his senior year, Palmer Ault was a generational talent and part of an extremely talented 2022 class that helped bring Dollaske's vision for the program to reality.
Asked the inspiration for his approach — one which emphasizes chemistry among players (assigned readings on leadership, team-building exercises) and flexibility on his part when determining tactics — Dollaske talked about throwing around ideas with his staff and seeing what stuck following his promotion from freshman coach in 2017.
Noblesville went 7-6-4 in Dollaske's first season, but he wasn't worried about wins and losses. He wanted to start figuring out what worked and to begin putting his stamp on the program. The Millers won 11 games in 2018, then reached semistate for the first time since 2011 a year later.
The progress under Dollaske was obvious, said senior forward Sam Holland (17 goals, seven assists), whose older brother, Spencer, played for Noblesville from 2018-21. The roster was loaded with talent and the new coach was excellent at motivating his players. "(After my freshman season), I knew that in a couple years we were going to have a couple rings," Sam smirked.
"(Dollaske) experiments with players and puts them in positions they might not usually play, sees how they do and tries to find the best fit from there," added senior goalkeeper Cole Thompson, who boasts a 0.66 goals against average with nine shutouts and three consecutive PK victories.
Noblesville Head Coach Ken Dollaske talks to his team at halftime, Wednesday, October 9, 2019. Noblesville defeated Fishers 3-1 to advance to the sectional championship Grace Hollars / IndyStar
"I could see it coming (in middle school). We were starting to build a winning program."
Now in his 21st season as head coach, Brady is less clear on when he established that winning culture within his program.
But step one was taking out Carmel.
A girls soccer dynasty, the Greyhounds have won 10 state championships, with eight coming between 1994-2004. Many of those postseason runs began with wins over Noblesville in sectionals. "It seemed like we were never going to get a sectional championship," Brady said.
But as soon as the Millers beat Carmel in the 2008 sectional semifinals (0-0, 4-3 PKs), the rest of the state quickly began catching up.
Of course, that's done little to slow the Millers, who have won seven sectionals, six regionals (the lone exception was 2021 vs. Homestead) and four semistates. "It's strengthened us," Brady observed.
"It's a different group of players each year, but they have the same attitude," he continued. "They're the same silly high schoolers that when the whistle blows, you have one of two choices. You win or you lose, and we're always going to try for the winning side."
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.