The waning moments of Center Grove’s 2020 boys soccer season didn’t play out the way Ely Detty had previously envisioned — with him seated on the bench.
A week earlier, Detty received a red card during the Trojans’ shootout victory over Southport in the sectional championship match, making the freshman forward ineligible to play in the team’s regional semifinal against Castle.
Center Grove lost, 2-1, to the eventual Class 3A runner-up.
Armed with a quiet bus ride home from the Seymour regional, what-ifs galore and the ensuing eight months to think about his early dismissal from the Southport match, Detty used the experience as fuel leading into the upcoming season.
The Trojans open Saturday at Roncalli, and Detty, understandably, cannot wait.
“Against Southport, I got a red card in the 20th minute of second half,” he said. “The first yellow card was because I slammed my hands on the ground. The second yellow was because I was fouling too much. That’s what the referee told me.
“It was really frustrating watching our team lose at regional. Just thinking about what might’ve happened if I had played. It really motivated me to get back this season and work as hard as I could.”
Detty, who finished his varsity debut season with seven goals and a team-high six assists, was somewhat surprised to be playing such a significant role as a ninth-grader. He was an immediate starter for coach Jameson McLaughlin’s squad and tallied his first career goal in a 2-2 tie against Columbus North.
“I was expecting to sub in after the first 20 minutes of the games, and didn’t expect to be starting,” Detty said. “I was really nervous at first, but started to feel comfortable after the first couple of games.”
Detty was also a member of the Indiana Fire Juniors travel team, instrumental in helping it win 22 of 24 matches.
McLaughlin, who sees firsthand the sweat Detty puts in on a daily basis, expects a breakthrough season from the talented sophomore.
“Ely’s work ethic is second to none. The kid never, ever stops working,” McLaughlin said. “He loves the game so much and just wants to be the best. And his skill level … if someone passes Ely the ball, it’s going to stay on his foot.”
Detty, meanwhile, plans to stay in matches this year.
“It taught me discipline and just how to learn from my mistakes,” Detty said of the red card. “I will never do that in a game again. I’m really ready for this season.”
