On the field, coach Scott Bauer felt like his second-ranked Warsaw boys soccer team outplayed the Columbus North Bulldogs Saturday. On the scoreboard, however, it wasn’t reflective. In the Class 2A state championship game at IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium, No. 6 Columbus North capitalized on a Warsaw mistake early in the first half and held on for a 1-0 victory. “Columbus North will probably say they outplayed us, but from my perspective, we had more chances,” said Bauer. The Tigers had 13 shots to the Bulldogs’ 10. Warsaw took four corner kicks, compared to one by Columbus North. The difference in the game was the Tigers failed to clear a ball in front of their own goal, and Columbus North senior Brad Shaw – the team’s leading scorer this season – was in the right place at the right time. Shaw, who entered Saturday’s game with 16 goals, was able to put a laser of an attempt past Warsaw senior keeper Michael Yantz. It was just the 12th goal the Tigers gave up in 24 games this season, but the Bulldogs made it stand up, as they won their first state championship, a year after finishing as the Class 2A state runner-up. “It was the mistake we were hoping to stay away from in the first 10 minutes,” said Bauer. “I thought that’s when we were most vulnerable because they had been here before. That was the kind of mistake we wanted to avoid.” Warsaw, playing in the title game for the first time in program history, finished the season with a 20-2-2 record (13-9-2 because of a clerical error involving a player’s transfer papers). Both games Warsaw lost on the field this season were 1-0 setbacks, the other coming to Carroll on Sept. 8. Saturday’s loss left the Tigers feeling blue, as they posed for pictures wearing medals with red ribbons instead. Warsaw had plenty of chances Saturday, and its players knew it. “I had two opportunities in front of the goal that will haunt me for the rest of my life,” said Warsaw senior Nathan Kolbe. “Two shots I should have put in, and overall we had some close ones that we should have put in.” Kolbe led the Tigers with 20 goals this season, including six in the regional and semistate rounds of the state tournament. On Saturday, though, neither he or his teammates could put one in the net past Columbus North keeper Chase Fancoeur. Francoeur was credited with five saves, while Yantz tallied three. “Soccer’s not a fair game,” said Bauer. “Today just wasn’t our day. We don’t get shutout very often.” While the loss certainly stung Saturday, in time, the Tigers will realize what a special season they had. “It’s definitely been an incredible journey,” said Kolbe. “I’m glad all the hard work we put in got us to the state championship game, win or lose. Our main goal was getting past the semistate, so accomplishing that isn’t the worst thing.” Columbus North finished the season with a 17-1-4 record. The Bulldogs’ Reid Wilson was given the Mental Attitude Award. “Once the bitterness leaves our mouth, we’ll look back and see that we had fun this year,” said Bauer.
CLASS 2A STATE FINALS Michael A. Carroll Stadium (Indianapolis) COLUMBUS NORTH 1, WARSAW 0 CN – Brad Shaw (Keaton Voegerl assist) 9th minute Shots – Col. North 10, Warsaw 13; Shots on goal – Col. North 4, Warsaw 5; Saves – Chase Francoeur (CN) 5, Michael Yantz (War) 3; Corner kicks – Col. North 1, Warsaw 4; Records: Col. North 17-1-4, Warsaw 20-2-2 (13-9-2 with forfeits)
