Homestead Ends Warsaw's Season
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
For the second-straight season, the 13th-ranked Spartans ended the 20th-ranked Tigers' season with a 1-0 loss in the Fort Wayne Snider Semistate finals at Hefner Fields Tuesday on the campus of IPFW.[[In-content Ad]]"I'm so proud of my guys," Warsaw head coach Scott Bauer said. "I thought they really came into this match with a sense of purpose and they really stepped up to the moment. From the seniors to the sophomores, they all stepped up and decided to come out here and play."
The Spartans (17-4-1) move on to the state finals Saturday in Indianapolis, facing No. 14 Columbus North in a 10 a.m. semifinal game, while No. 7 Lake Central and No. 4 Zionsville face off in the other semifinal. The winners move on to play each other at 6 p.m. at Kuntz Memorial Stadium on the campus of IUPUI.
"Our guys have just been here," Homestead head coach Paco Castillo said after the win. "They've been through these type of games and they just know what they have to do. I think its just the desire to win."
Of Homestead's 11 starters, six were seniors, while another three were juniors. By comparison, Warsaw had two seniors in the starting lineup and three juniors.
"They are young, but they are a technical team," Castillo said of Warsaw. "I think they'll be back over here, to be honest with you."
Even with experience on their side, Homestead was without 2008 NSCAA/Adidas All-American Kegan Harkenrider, who had to sit the match out after picking up a fifth yellow card in Monday's semifinal win over Northridge.
"I think he's thankful for the teammates he has, because he gets to play again," Castillo said. "It would have been a rough finish to his high school career if he was sitting there watching the game. Our young guys stepped up to the challenge."
One of those young guys was sophomore reserve Francis Zirille, who scored the match's lone goal on a scrum in front of the Warsaw goal with only 27 seconds remaining in the first half.
"We were fortunate to have Frankie there - a sophomore who rarely plays," Castillo said.
Zirille got that chance after Homestead was fouled just outside the 18.
Following the foul, senior Joseph Gallmeyer placed the free kick in front of the goal, setting up numerous shots until Zirille pushed his through.
"You have to expect some unfortunate bounces occasionally," Bauer said. "It's just what led up to it. We didn't need to foul in our defensive third. They're high school kids, and they were in the heat of the moment. You gotta live with that."
Warsaw had its chances to score, including a cross by sophomore José Rodriguez that was just a tad too far away for a header by sophomore Corey Lopez, as well as a Lopez pass to freshman brother Diego Lopez that Homestead senior keeper Justin Hanford had to slide to block.
"For the most part, I thought we played even and we even had an advantage at points, except for one miscue at the end of the first half that killed us," Bauer said.
"In the second half, we continued to press," he added. "We were down a goal. These guys could have pulled up, but they didn't."
Castillo credited his team's experience against Warsaw's inexperience for withstanding the Tigers' attacks.
"Sometimes with a younger team, I don't know if they have that sense of urgency they need to get things done," he said. "(Warsaw) was actually taking it to us in the beginning. When the goal fell, it just kind of switched things around."
Homestead finished the contest with five shots on goal to Warsaw's three, and Bauer was overall pleased with the effort of his squad.
"I thought Joey Hickerson played an excellent game on the outside," he said. "We utilized our right flank really well. I just can't say enough about José, Noah (Price) and Ian Crines' play in the middle. I thought they rose to the occasion. They applied pressure all over the field."
The season ends at 14-5-4 for Warsaw, but with only three seniors on the team in Crines, Tony Climaco and Lance Menzie, expectations are rising.
"We have a lot of kids coming back," Bauer said. "They've been here again this year, and I think they're getting a taste for it."
And Castillo sees that too.
"They have some young talent that will be back here next year," he said. "I guarantee you that."
HOMESTEAD 1, WARSAW 0
(FW Snider Semistate Final)
H - Francis Zirille (Thomas Ault) 39th min.
Shots on Goal - Homestead 5, Warsaw 3; Saves - Homestead (Justin Hanford) 3; Warsaw (David Johnson) 4; Corner Kicks - Homestead 4, Warsaw 4; Fouls (Yellow Card) - Homestead 19 (Joseph Gallmeyer), Warsaw 11 (Ian Crines, Lake Price); Offsides - Homestead 2, Warsaw 1; Records: Homestead 17-4-1, Warsaw 14-5-4
For the second-straight season, the 13th-ranked Spartans ended the 20th-ranked Tigers' season with a 1-0 loss in the Fort Wayne Snider Semistate finals at Hefner Fields Tuesday on the campus of IPFW.[[In-content Ad]]"I'm so proud of my guys," Warsaw head coach Scott Bauer said. "I thought they really came into this match with a sense of purpose and they really stepped up to the moment. From the seniors to the sophomores, they all stepped up and decided to come out here and play."
The Spartans (17-4-1) move on to the state finals Saturday in Indianapolis, facing No. 14 Columbus North in a 10 a.m. semifinal game, while No. 7 Lake Central and No. 4 Zionsville face off in the other semifinal. The winners move on to play each other at 6 p.m. at Kuntz Memorial Stadium on the campus of IUPUI.
"Our guys have just been here," Homestead head coach Paco Castillo said after the win. "They've been through these type of games and they just know what they have to do. I think its just the desire to win."
Of Homestead's 11 starters, six were seniors, while another three were juniors. By comparison, Warsaw had two seniors in the starting lineup and three juniors.
"They are young, but they are a technical team," Castillo said of Warsaw. "I think they'll be back over here, to be honest with you."
Even with experience on their side, Homestead was without 2008 NSCAA/Adidas All-American Kegan Harkenrider, who had to sit the match out after picking up a fifth yellow card in Monday's semifinal win over Northridge.
"I think he's thankful for the teammates he has, because he gets to play again," Castillo said. "It would have been a rough finish to his high school career if he was sitting there watching the game. Our young guys stepped up to the challenge."
One of those young guys was sophomore reserve Francis Zirille, who scored the match's lone goal on a scrum in front of the Warsaw goal with only 27 seconds remaining in the first half.
"We were fortunate to have Frankie there - a sophomore who rarely plays," Castillo said.
Zirille got that chance after Homestead was fouled just outside the 18.
Following the foul, senior Joseph Gallmeyer placed the free kick in front of the goal, setting up numerous shots until Zirille pushed his through.
"You have to expect some unfortunate bounces occasionally," Bauer said. "It's just what led up to it. We didn't need to foul in our defensive third. They're high school kids, and they were in the heat of the moment. You gotta live with that."
Warsaw had its chances to score, including a cross by sophomore José Rodriguez that was just a tad too far away for a header by sophomore Corey Lopez, as well as a Lopez pass to freshman brother Diego Lopez that Homestead senior keeper Justin Hanford had to slide to block.
"For the most part, I thought we played even and we even had an advantage at points, except for one miscue at the end of the first half that killed us," Bauer said.
"In the second half, we continued to press," he added. "We were down a goal. These guys could have pulled up, but they didn't."
Castillo credited his team's experience against Warsaw's inexperience for withstanding the Tigers' attacks.
"Sometimes with a younger team, I don't know if they have that sense of urgency they need to get things done," he said. "(Warsaw) was actually taking it to us in the beginning. When the goal fell, it just kind of switched things around."
Homestead finished the contest with five shots on goal to Warsaw's three, and Bauer was overall pleased with the effort of his squad.
"I thought Joey Hickerson played an excellent game on the outside," he said. "We utilized our right flank really well. I just can't say enough about José, Noah (Price) and Ian Crines' play in the middle. I thought they rose to the occasion. They applied pressure all over the field."
The season ends at 14-5-4 for Warsaw, but with only three seniors on the team in Crines, Tony Climaco and Lance Menzie, expectations are rising.
"We have a lot of kids coming back," Bauer said. "They've been here again this year, and I think they're getting a taste for it."
And Castillo sees that too.
"They have some young talent that will be back here next year," he said. "I guarantee you that."
HOMESTEAD 1, WARSAW 0
(FW Snider Semistate Final)
H - Francis Zirille (Thomas Ault) 39th min.
Shots on Goal - Homestead 5, Warsaw 3; Saves - Homestead (Justin Hanford) 3; Warsaw (David Johnson) 4; Corner Kicks - Homestead 4, Warsaw 4; Fouls (Yellow Card) - Homestead 19 (Joseph Gallmeyer), Warsaw 11 (Ian Crines, Lake Price); Offsides - Homestead 2, Warsaw 1; Records: Homestead 17-4-1, Warsaw 14-5-4
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