McCutcheon and Harrison came down to the wire to determine who advanced to the IHSAA 3A boys sectional semifinal.
LOGANSPORT - Harrison sophomore goal scorer Marshall Crowell had just seconds to study the movements of McCutcheon junior forward Nery Pacheco.
Pacheco, the leading goal scorer for McCutcheon, stepped up to take a penalty kick after a foul was called on senior Joey McKenna in the 65th minute with a one-goal deficit.
McKenna scored in the 22nd minute, but now it was on Crowell to keep the lead against Pacheco, who had scored 35 goals in 2025 and is considered by coaches in the Lafayette area to be talented enough to play Division I soccer.
A shot taken from 12 yards was going to possibly alter the momentum of both teams.
Crowell dove to his left and smothered what would become McCutcheon's one major chance to tie the match.
"I had a gut feeling and I stuck with it," Crowell said. "I read his body."
Contributions by Crowell and an early goal by McKenna would be all Harrison needed to stun McCutcheon 1-0. The win marked the Raiders' fourth straight year of ending McCutcheon's season in the playoffs, with each match being decided by one goal.
Harrison (14-1) advanced to the IHSAA sectional championship against Logansport. The kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday.
McKenna led an attack spurred by midfielder Franklin Caceres, forward Adan Robles, while seeing the return of left forward Connor Lange. Junior Simon Ailor assisted on the early goal while Harrison outshot McCutcheon 11-6.
"I just saw Simon with the ball and with the defenders they had, he delivered a great ball, and I had to slot it perfectly," McKenna said.
Crowell replaced junior Timmy Schneider, the starter from the state run in 2024, as the starting goalkeeper after Harrison's 3-2 comeback win against Guerin Catholic on Sept. 11.
"Marshall offers some distribution things as far as long balls and shorter balls in distribution when we were trying to possess from the back," Harrison coach Bryan Clouse said. "All of our keepers are close in skill when it comes to shot blocking. It wasn't an easy change or an easy decision, and I think through it all is that Timmy Schneider continues to be a key factor in what we've done. They make each other better every single practice."
Harrison maintained its shape throughout and displayed a level of connectivity that had been visible but inconsistent until Wednesday. Lange was the missing piece, having missed the past three weeks after rehabbing an ankle injury.
"I just wanted to get back on the field so badly, and I had been so amped up," Lange said. "It was just about connecting, getting the ball to my mids, and we were working together as a team. It's not an individual sport, and together we were able to bring the energy."
McCutcheon (12-4-2) couldn't find the offensive continuity it displayed after beating Lafayette Jeff 7-4 on Monday night.
Pacheco was frequently double-teamed by senior twin defenders Seth and Aaron Dewell.
"Seth did a good job of getting (Pacheco) pissed off," Aaron Dewell said. "We got in their heads, and we did a good job of covering each other. We switched formations, and we knew that our offense would come through."
McCutcheon had 15 more minutes to get a shot through, but couldn't peel back the layer of Harrison's defense and connect passes for runs.
Sophomore Asher Glista made 10 saves for McCutcheon and kept the Mavericks in the match.
"He made some really nice plays out there," McCutcheon coach Boyd Wheeler said. "We know Harrison thrives a lot on its set plays, so us just being ready to make saves and get balls out was big."
Pacheco was consoled by teammates and coaches postgame.
"(Pacheco) is a good teammate, and he wants the team to succeed," Wheeler said. "He found a lot of individual success that contributed to the overall team's success. We had a great run this year."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Harrison goalkeeper Marshall Crowell leads win over McCutcheon in IHSAA sectional semifinals
Category: General Sports
