GCA’s Parker Satre, left, tries to get past Whiteland defender Elliot Spangler during Monday’s match.
Sam Findley | For the Daily Journal
It would’ve been easy for both teams to overlook their Monday night match, with Greenwood Christian having a conference game today against Anderson Prep and Whiteland facing conference foe Perry Meridian on Thursday.
Instead the two teams both used the 4-1 Warriors victory as a springboard into their next game. Even GCA.
Second-year head coach Micah Estes was happy with the little victories for the visiting Cougars.
“The boys showed incredible enthusiasm and they brought out intensity,” Estes said. “They kind of dwindled a little bit in the second half, but when we got that PK that kind of put us back in the game. That gets us pretty hyped for the rest of our season for sure.”
Whiteland (3-8) played mostly in GCA’s lower third and picked up three early corners, though all of them were non-threatening to Cougars keeper Colton Flint.
The Warriors also settled with two out-of-the-box shots near the beginning of the match.
Flint’s first real challenge came on Braden Hall’s shot off of Yahir Lugardo’s corner kick, which Hall slid past Flint for a 1–0 Whiteland lead 15 minutes in.
With a handful of minutes remaining before halftime, Lugardo again made GCA pay, putting the home side up 2-0.
Warriors coach Justin VanHorn didn’t like the energy of his squad going into the half, despite the lead.
“We came out kind of lackadaisical,” VanHorn said. “It’s a Monday; we’re used to playing on Tuesday, Thursday, so you have a weekend, so just getting them to understand we need to step and we need to dictate the pace of play.”
Less than five minutes after the halftime buzzer, Lugardo put the hurt on the Cougars once again with his second goal. Lugardo’s night gives the senior confidence heading into Whiteland’s matchup with Class 3A No. 12 Perry Meridian.
“This has given me some confidence,” Lugardo said. “The important part is that we scored four and we won the game.”
David Mathis extended the Warriors’ lead with a bomb from outside of the box, putting Whiteland up 4-0 eight minutes into the second half.
GCA’s lone goal of the night came when Bo Campbell scored off a late penalty kick.
The Cougars stayed dangerous in the Warriors’ lower third but were unable to make anything of it for the remainder of the game.
VanHorn appreciates the win and what it means for the Warriors heading into Thursday’s big conference matchup.
“It’s good. It’s good to get a win,” VanHorn said. “Obviously, there’s some stuff we need to clean up. But yeah, it’s a good confidence booster for the boys heading into play the number 12 team in the state, so we’re really excited. And hopefully we can give them a good game.”
