GCA’s Caleb Schmidt, center, loses the ball as he tries to dribble between two Oldenburg Academy players.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Journal
A sizable discrepancy in shots on goal isn’t going to make a difference if at least one doesn’t find the back of the net.
This is where Class A No. 6 Greenwood Christian Academy lived during most of its regional semifinal against fifth-ranked Oldenburg Academy on Wednesday.
Then Bo Campbell did what Bo Campbell does.
With 9:38 remaining in the second half, the GCA sophomore booted his 22nd goal of the season, a blast from the left side past Twisters’ goalkeeper Isaiah Waggoner, to give the Cougars the only offense needed in a 1-0 victory.
“A lot was going on. I was just in the right place at the right time, and just finished it,” Campbell said. “It feels good to be moving on.”
The win puts Greenwood Christian (14-4) against No. 2 Covenant Christian in a regional final at Knightstown on Saturday at 2 p.m.
GCA opened this season with a 3-0 loss to the same squad in August. That Cougars’ team and the current version seem to be the same in name only.
“We’ve improved a lot, so I think we have a chance,” Campbell said. “We’re a lot more aggressive, have a lot more chemistry. We were a new team at the beginning of the season.”
Greenwood Christian’s rivalry with Oldenburg Academy shows the Cougars holding a 5-1 advantage in postseason matchups dating back to the 2017 season.
The latest showed the Cougars up 8-4 on shot attempts at the half, which ended scoreless.
GCA played much more aggressively the second 40 minutes, attempting 12 shots on goal, the majority coming in the first 13 minutes.
Then, finally, Campbell connected.
“I really thought it was going to come in the first half. We just took our sweet time on it, and fortunately we got it, and that’s all that counts,” first-year Cougars’ coach Steve Campbell said.
“We definitely came ready to play in the second half. The first half I thought we were a little bit in slow motion. A little passive waiting for (Oldenburg) to make the play. The second half, we made the plays, and we were on it.”
GCA finished with 20 shots on goal to the Twisters’ nine. The closest Oldenburg Academy came to scoring was on a kick in the 33rd minute of the first half that was batted away by Cougars’ senior goalkeeper Colton Flint.
With the final seconds being counted down in the second half, Greenwood Christian was called for a hand-ball penalty, but Oldenburg couldn’t get the kick off before time elapsed.
“I don’t know if it was the right call, but that’s what he called,” coach Campbell said. “I didn’t have a clear look at it, but it was a line drive right into our player.”
Oldenburg Academy finishes the season with a 17-3 record.
The Cougars prepare for another match, hoping to continue the kind of run the 2022 squad made on its way to state runner-up status.
“The biggest difference from the beginning of the season is we’ve improved a ton,” GCA sophomore Cayden Afterkirk said. “All of our players have improved so much. Just hard practices, our coaching and then just our drive to want to win.”
