<p>In each of the last three postseasons, Center Grove’s boys soccer team has met its end against Perry Meridian.</p>
<p>Having taken care of business in its sectional opener on Tuesday, rolling to a 5-1 victory over host Franklin, the Trojans get another chance to foil their nemesis tonight. The Falcons did their part by beating Whiteland in the other first-round match, 4-1.</p>
<p>Center Grove (14-2-1) needed all of 73 seconds to get out in front of the Grizzly Cubs. Nick Wilson’s hard free kick from just outside the box was stopped, but Carter Zuch crashed in and punched home the rebound.</p>
<p>In the 10th minute, Carson Wilhelm sent a throw-in forward to an open Colin Parry, who controlled it on the move and popped it up over Franklin goalie Jack Henderson and into the net for the first of his three scores on the night.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
<p>"That was the plan," Parry said of the Trojans’ quick start. "Come out in the first five, get a goal or two and then that would set the tone for the rest of the game. We knew they couldn’t come back from a 2-0 deficit."</p>
<p>Parry struck again with 8:43 to go in the half off of a cross from Cooper Livermore.</p>
<p>Franklin broke up the shutout just 1:07 into the second half. Owen Mahin’s header toward the goal was turned away by Trojan defender Tesfa Seyoum, but Colin Haveman was there to follow up — and while Center Grove goaltender Ian Rowe did come up with the ball, the officials ruled that it crossed the goal line first.</p>
<p>The Grizzly Cubs (11-5-1) couldn’t come up with another score, however, and Parry delivered the decisive blow with 22:22 on the clock when he converted the rebound after Henderson stopped a Zuch shot.</p>
<p>Richard DeChant tacked on an insurance tally for the Trojans with a little more than five minutes to go.</p>
<p>"They explode at you offensively and they come in waves," Franklin coach Tony Harris said. "We didn’t do a very good job in the first half of (stopping) that."</p>
<p>The opener was scoreless for more than 24 minutes before the Falcons exploded for three goals in an 11:29 span. Bawi Cung Lian got Perry on the board and Cung Hlei followed with a pair of tallies to make it 3-0 with 4:07 left in the half</p>
<p>The Warriors (10-5-3) battled back after the break and cut into the deficit on a Trevor Pike goal less than three and a half minutes in, but none of their subsequent attacks bore any fruit.</p>
<p>"They make it hard for you to put it together, man," Whiteland coach Justin VanHorn said. "They are hard-working, they want it more than every team they play and they win every ball, and it’s just hard to connect passes through that."</p>
<p>A Lian free kick with 8:41 remaining iced it for the Falcons, who now become the Trojans’ problem once again.</p>
<p>It’s clear Center Grove has been awaiting this matchup for a while, no matter how little they were saying about it Tuesday night.</p>
<p>"Wednesday game," Trojans coach Jameson McLaughlin said with a smile. "We’ll be there."</p>
