The stakes weren’t the same, but the score was.
For the second time in only 10 days, Roncalli’s boys soccer team defeated Whiteland by a 5-1 score, only Monday’s match opened the Class 3A sectional at Center Grove.
The victory qualifies Roncalli to play the host Trojans, the state’s 19th-ranked squad, in Wednesday’s 5 p.m. semifinal. Those teams opened the season against each other in August, battling to a 2-2 tie.
Against the Warriors, Roncalli used goals by five different players to get the job while improving its record to 8-8-1. Whiteland’s season comes to a close with a 6-9-1 mark.
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“We started off slow, and it’s hard to come back when you let goals in early,” Warriors coach Justin VanHorn said. “Our guys worked hard, but again, their guys worked the ball really well in midfield, and they find those guys in the gaps extremely well, so all the credit to Roncalli. They are a phenomenal team.
“They’re just a tough squad. A tough draw. We did our best.”
Roncalli kept Warriors goalkeeper Nolan Ferguson plenty busy in the first half with 12 shots on goal. Two found their mark for a 2-0 lead at the break.
Only 3 minutes, 28 seconds had elapsed before forward Brady Newett scored off an assist from senior midfielder Connor Mahoney. Roncalli tacked on some insurance 17:49 into the opening half on a goal from Christian Maldonado.
Roncalli struck quickly again in the second half, with junior Jair Ramirez breaking into the clear for a goal 6:39 in. Junior midfielder Samuel Gantner got into the act 14:39 into the second half with a goal off an assist from Newett.
Whiteland averted the shutout with 8:12 remaining on senior Tristan Thomas’ 14th goal of the season, with Braden Hall picking up the assist. Roncalli closed the scoring with 5:41 left on Mahoney’s goal.
Second-year Roncalli coach Orfeo DiMizio was proud of his team’s refusal to relax against an opponent it had defeated not even two weeks earlier.
“It’s not easy, especially with teenagers, to keep them motivated. You really have to stay after it, and it’s up to them,” DiMizio said. “You can only show them the door, and they’ve got to walk through it. I just think it came down to them wanting it today, and they put up a good performance.”
Monday’s loss marked the final high school match for eight Warrior seniors, players VanHorn said will be difficult to replace next season.
“It’s going to be hard to replace quite a few of them. These seniors have put in four hard years, gone through ups and downs and won a conference title last year,” VanHorn said. “This year didn’t go as we had hoped, but they’ve had a good run here.”
