James Brown would have been proud.
The Center Grove girls soccer team delivered some payback for the second straight match, avenging a season-opening loss to Columbus North with a 2-0 victory in the championship game of the Class 3A Franklin Sectional on Saturday afternoon.
The eighth-ranked Trojans (16-3) will face host Bloomington South in a regional semifinal match on Saturday afternoon. No. 13 Evansville North and Floyd Central meet in the other semi.
"I think it fired us up, losing in season to them," senior Megan Perry said. "We went into this match knowing what they were capable of, and so we wanted to put everything that we had into this game, because we knew it would be a tough one."
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After a back-and-forth start that saw each team make a few forays inside the opposing 18-yard line, Perry helped Center Grove break the ice 8 minutes and 31 seconds into the match. With Columbus North goalkeeper Kaylyn Bates caught out a bit too far, Perry took a shot from the right side that found its way into an open net.
"I saw that the keeper came out," Perry said, "and I knew that it was now or never, so I just had to take that first shot."
Center Grove coach Mike Bishop was thrilled to see his team break the seal first, given how recent meetings with Columbus North have gone.
"It’s been this way with these two teams for years now," he said. "Whoever gets the first goal usually ends up winning, just because. I don’t know why; it’s just one of those things. With solid teams, it’s tough to break them down and get in the attacking third and be productive."
With 35:32 remaining in the match, the Trojans added to the lead when senior Piper Belden converted a penalty kick after she was taken down in the box while trying to beat a Columbus North defender to a through ball.
That second goal seemed to shift the tide even more in the Trojans’ favor, as they had the better of play for much of the remaining time.
Just a couple of minutes after Belden’s tally, Bates turned away a Center Grove breakaway attempt and the rebound shot went wide. Sophomore Macy Detty had a couple of shots that just missed the mark midway through the second half, and classmate Paige Waskom launched a hard shot from deep that Bates had to make a leaping save on.
The Trojans finished with a 15-12 edge in overall shots, including a 12-4 advantage after halftime. Kelti Wise made six saves to preserve the shutout for Center Grove.
In addition to the regular-season loss against Columbus North, Perry said the Trojans were also revved up by a sectional semifinal defeat last year that made them just the second Center Grove team in 23 years not to win a sectional championship.
"Losing last year, we knew that we didn’t want that reputation on us again," Perry said.
