Chargers Rise, Knock Out Warriors
ANGOLA – An extra two days of preparation didn’t help Wawasee slow down West Noble.
The No. 15-ranked Chargers ran over the Warriors, 5-0, in the championship game of the Angola Boys Soccer Sectional Monday night, delayed two days due to inclement weather Saturday night.
West Noble controlled much of the tempo and the possession, and broke through in the 19th minute. Adrian Pizana would find some space and beat Wawasee keeper Dillon Drake for the first goal, becoming the first of five different Chargers to strike gold.
Nine minutes later, Ty Barnes put more space between the two teams with a goal, and at 2-0, West Noble was getting away.
A Baltazar Guzman strike to open the second half put the nail in the coffin. Henry Torres and Eddie Barrientos tallied the final goals for West Noble.
“Never fun losing, never fun ending a season,” said Wawasee head coach Jordan Sharp following the match. “We had a great bunch of guys and it’s going to be hard not having training tomorrow. We lost to a tough across the lake rival, they deserved the win. Our boys fought hard.
The win punctuated a rematch of the two teams from late August, when Wawasee held a 2-0 lead in Ligonier at the half before West Noble erupted for four unanswered goals in the second half to claim the win.
Wawasee closes its season at 6-12, falling in the championship game of the sectional for the second straight year.
“Really, overall it was a good season for Wawasee,” Sharp added. “We had some success and were in a lot of games we maybe didn’t have much business being in. We’re the underdogs in a tough conference and we fought almost every single game. I think the boys will walk away proud of the season and will think back on this season as a good one to remember. We are excited to see what we can bring back for next season.”
West Noble (16-3) will advance to meet Hanover Central Sectional champion No. 7 West Lafayette (14-1-1) in the first game of the Marian Boys Soccer Regional Saturday morning. Marian Sectional champion and top-ranked St. Joe (16-0-2) and Griffith Sectional champion No. 14 Hammond Bishop Noll (16-2) will meet in the second game. The winners of the two games come back for a 7 p.m. championship. West Noble is seeking its second regional championship, the first coming two years ago.
Around the area, other teams advancing in the state tournament include Penn and Northridge in Class 3-A, winners over South Bend Riley and Elkhart Memorial; Fort Wayne Concordia over Manchester in Class 2-A; and Bremen, Bethany Christian and Argos in Class 1-A, winners over LaVille, Westview and Winamac.