Harrison, Faith Christian and a stunning finish by West Lafayette. Here's how all 3 boys soccer teams advanced to the IHSAA regional championships.
WEST LAFAYETTE - Slow starts are a trend of the past for Harrison boys soccer because of the surge of senior midfielder Aaron Dewell.
Dewell cut to the right part of the net and scored a fourth-minute goal on a corner kick before assisting fellow classman Joey McKenna in the 45th minute to lead Harrison over Hamilton Southeastern 2-1 in the IHSAA 3A regional semifinals in West Lafayette.
"This is our year, and we've talked about that last year's championship was a thing in the past," McKenna said.
Harrison continued its quest to capture a second straight IHSAA 3A state championship by connecting passes consistently and maintaining possession after being taken to penalty kicks by Hamilton Southeastern a year ago on the road.
No such late match heroics were needed for Harrison (16-1-3) and will play Fort Wayne Homestead for the 3A regional title 2 p.m. Saturday in Kokomo.
"We just don't want to go home," Dewell said. "We just don't want to lose."
Harrison has found a working combination with Dewell's attacking as a midfielder, McKenna switching back and forth from forward to center defender, junior Adan Robles' touch on set pieces, and the rapid speed and frenetic pace displayed by senior midfielder Frankie Caceres.
"The team trusts me and trusts me where I need to be," McKenna said.
Robles explained how Harrison names its corner kicks and set-piece plays after fast-food items from Taco Bell and McDonald's in honor of the postgame meals the team sometimes shares together.
Robles' corner kick assist to Dewell was called Big Mac.
"We just celebrate, and one day we just decided to name that play Big Mac," Robles said.
Hamilton Southeastern (11-4-5) tied the match 1-1 in the 36th minute off the right foot of Andres Mancillas. Mancillas benefited from an attempted clearance by McKenna.
The ball caromed to Mancillas to direct a shot past goalkeeper Marshall Crowell, and Harrison went into halftime tied with Hamilton Southeastern.
Harrison started the second half by creating opportunities with McKenna, clipping a shot past senior Riley Bedics.
The Raiders controlled both ball possession and the tempo of the second half with Caceres at the focal point of the attack. Caceres' ball control and runs helped Harrison put together repeated goal-scoring attempts in the final 40 minutes.
"There's a lot of great players in the state of Indiana and box to box he is one of the best dudes in Indiana and maybe even in the country," Harrison coach Bryan Clouse said.
"He is so calm and smooth on the ball. He makes everyone better. Box to box, he is one of the best players I've ever coached, and he's so dynamic. He's unselfish and possibly too unselfish sometimes. That's where he gets too much respect from his teammates. He makes everyone better, and he is our engine."
West Lafayette advances on PKs
West Lafayette junior goalkeeper Alex Casas kept his composure under pressure.
The Red Devils had just rallied and scored on a goal by senior Nick Aliaga to tie the match with three minutes remaining in the second overtime to force a shootout.
Casas dove to his left and made the save with two hands, and advanced to the IHSAA Class 2A regional championship.
West Lafayette (10-10-1) will play Guerin Catholic from Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Red Devils had just rallied and scored on a goal by senior Nick Aliaga to tie the match with three minutes remaining in the second overtime to force a shootout.
"It was fantastic to see my team fight through the adversity," West Lafayette coach Brandon Boer said. "I thought there were times where we played well, and I thought there were times where we could've played better, and that was frustrating. But the fact that we overcame that adversity and stayed locked in was really special."
West Lafayette has turned a once-turbulent season into a storied one, having entered the IHSAA 2A sectional round with a 6-10-1 record. The Red Devils had strong performances, including beating McCutcheon 4-0 during the regular season, but were beaten handily by Faith Christian 4-0 and Harrison 8-0.
The combination of freshmen and sophomores has jelled over the season, with leading scorer Gaspar Hernandez playing more confidently against pressure.
With the Red Devils' season at stake, it was the veteran Elliott who took control and netted the equalizer, and took his team to penalty kicks.
Guerin Catholic now stands in front of West Lafayette, a program that nearly stunned Harrison on the road and defeated the Red Devils 7-0 two weeks ago.
West Lafayette is chasing its first regional title since 2021.
"Part of the things we talked about when we were struggling was how to find our energy and find a way to win," Boer said. "We feel like a different team this postseason, and it's been spectacular to watch with them being molded into the team I had envisioned when the season first started."
Faith Christian finds spark in second half in 1A regional semifinal
Faith Christian boys soccer coach Kevin Johns saw his team adapt after being shut out in the first half at home against Tipton.
"Tipton had a great game plan, but we were confident in our guys, and it was just a matter of time before we got that breakthrough," Johns said.
Senior midfielder Carson Tribble's passing in space orchestrated three of Faith Christian's four second-half goals to win the IHSAA regional 1A semifinal 4-1.
Tribble assisted on three goals with senior Alexander Church, who scored twice in the 45th and 51st minutes. Junior Darius Livingston expanded the lead 3-0 in the 63rd minute before all-time leading scorer Carter Hodgson found the back of the net in the 66th minute to put Tipton away.
Faith Christian (16-3) will face Covenant Christian on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the 1A regional championship. Covenant Christian won the regular-season matchup against the Eagles 3-0 on Sept. 20.
"This was one of our best teamwork and attitude games, and I'm so proud of the guys," Johns said. "We talked this week and one of the things that can stop a team is good culture. We got to work through that, and the guys were really high on how great the communication was. I'm hoping to ride that wave through Saturday."
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 West Lafayette and Faith Christian advances through IHSAA regional semifinals
Category: General Sports
