Last year, Noblesville won its first boys state soccer championship with a talented senior class, including five Division I players. This year? Expectations, at least from the outside, were understandably a bit muted with just one starter returning.
“We always say, ‘Everyone doubted us,’” said that one returning starter, senior Jake Johns. “So it’s good to prove them wrong and win it.”
It is probably fitting it was Johns who scored Noblesville’s lone goal Saturday afternoon at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium in a 1-0 victory over Columbus North for the Class 3A state championship. Johns was waiting at the top of the box when teammate Sam Divis dropped the ball to him. He let it fly into the right top corner of the net, just beyond the outstretched arms of Columbus North junior goalkeeper Max Grewe at the 23-minute mark of the first half.
Brebeuf goalie loves pressure.And he was at his very best in Class 2A soccer title game.
“Divis is a playmaker and just trying to dribble people and I was waiting at the top of the box,” Johns said. “Next thing you know, the ball is coming to me and I got one shot. I just shot it as hard as possible and it somehow went in. I put a little ‘swaz’ on it.”
Noblesville (16-3-3) was ranked seventh going into the tournament, but handled fifth-ranked Hamilton Southeastern 3-0 in the sectional championship and won three one-goal games against Warsaw (2-1) and Carroll (4-3) in the regional and Penn (3-2) in the semistate. That experience in close games turned out to be beneficial for the Millers, which controlled the first half but led just 1-0 going into halftime after a couple of near-misses, including one shot off the post.
“We said at halftime, ‘Whoever gets the next goal is probably going to win the game,’” Noblesville coach Ken Dollaske said. “Little did we know that nobody was going to get the next goal and our first goal would be the one that stands up as the game winner.”
The second half, in part because Noblesville was nursing the lead and Columbus North on the chase, was largely controlled by the fourth-ranked Bull Dogs (19-2-1), who took eight shots on goal after halftime to four for Noblesville. Columbus North had two chances midway through the second half that were snuffed out by Noblesville junior goalkeeper Cole Thompson.
But with a little more than five minutes left, Thompson was called for holding on to the ball too long and received a yellow card. Into the game came senior goalkeeper Noel Pena, who did play in nine games during the season with two shutouts. Pena, in a highly-intense situation, was able to hold the fort on a free kick and corner kick by Columbus North. Thompson then re-entered the game two minutes later.
“We have two amazing keepers,” Dollaske said. “And it’s tough that we have to make a decision on who we are starting in a state championship game, but honestly it’s choice ‘1A’ and ‘1B’ between Cole Thompson and Noel Pena. It just proved that when Cole gets a yellow card and he’s very emotional and Noel goes in there, he saved us. There were two opportunities for them to tie that game and extend it to extra time and he did exactly what he’s done all season.”
It was not exactly how Thompson anticipated the final few minutes playing out, but he was back in the goal when the seconds ticked away.
“You just have to refocus and get that out of your mind,” he said. “Because if it’s in our mind and you make a mistake, it could cost you the game.”
Dollaske said three of Noblesville’s players from last year’s team — IUPUI freshmen Spencer Holland, Brady Horn and Gabe Ingle — met with Millers before going to their game at Grand Park against Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday afternoon.
“Does it make it sweeter to back-to-back with a team where you have brand-new starters in there?” Dollaske said. “Sure. … But this state title isn’t just for the 25 guys that dressed or the 30 on the roster. It’s for everybody.”
Dollaske added that the goal is to “build a dynasty.” In his mind, that means three in a row. But to get a chance at three, the Millers first had to go back-to-back. And that a sweet feeling, especially for a senior like Johns, who scored his second goal of the season and was limited to 12 games (no losses) this season.
“It’s not like you have a couple players come in and make a difference,” Johns said “It’s the team that makes a difference. When everyone comes together and actually trusts each other, it’s the program itself that is good.”
By Kyle Neddenriep - IndyStar