Center Grove defenders stand in shock after Noblesville scores a goal during Saturday’s state final.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
INDIANAPOLIS
Center Grove stood in the path of a fast-moving dynasty Saturday night, and battled for 80 minutes to be able to tell about it.
Noblesville’s 3-1 victory over the Trojans in the Class 3A championship game at Michael A. Carroll Stadium was the Millers’ third consecutive state title and fifth in the last six seasons.
A home-pitch advantage? Some might say.
Nonetheless, when it came to new additions to their school’s trophy cases, third-year CG coach Myron Vaughn’s squad held a 2-1 advantage. Along with the Trojans being presented the runner-up trophy, Center Grove senior midfielder Lauren Hopper brought home the prestigious Mental Attitude Award.
Even postgame, Hopper found a way to chalk up an assist.
“I think it’s just a reflection of our team culture, and my teammates,” said Hopper, who is in the top 30 of her class academically. “My teammates, they lift me up so much that I’m not able to get this without them.”
Regarded as one of the premier girls soccer programs not only in the state but nationally, Noblesville (19-0-2) delivered two kicks in the back of the net in the final 10 minutes of the opening half for a 3-1 lead at intermission.
The Millers sent an immediate message, scoring on senior forward Kaydence Fleck’s straightaway offering only with only 2 minutes, 31 seconds elapsed.
Center Grove countered 11:44 in as junior forward Jessie Jasek scored on a breakaway, with the assist going to sophomore forward Mia Marlin. Noblesville senior goalkeeper Bella Wyatt left her post, and Jasek made her pay with her seventh goal of the season. It marked only the second time this postseason the Millers yielded a goal.
“I always remember Myron saying to pull back the center back, and I backed up, just finished the run,” Jasek said. “I noticed the goalkeeper came out of her box, and she kind of made a mistake, and I was able to finish it off.”
In what proved to be the most crucial sequence of the match, Noblesville reclaimed the lead on Alley Pittman’s goal at 30:03; the Millers made it a two-goal game on forward Delaney Stone’s goal nearly three minutes later.
“I think we needed to settle into the game a little bit, and (Jasek’s) goal helped us settle in a little bit more,” said Vaughn, whose team finished with a 16-5-3 record. “But I don’t think we fully ever settled the way we wanted to. They’ve got quality, and if you give a team of quality that many opportunities, they’re going to punish you.”
Jasek and Marlin each attempted two shots on goal for the Trojans, while senior forward Brooklyn Brown attempted one. Noblesville tried 20 shots by comparison, including 14 the second half. The Millers also attempted nine corner kicks to Center Grove’s four. Anderson Broshears, the Trojans’ sophomore goalkeeper, made six saves.
Vaughn’s squad bids farewell to eight seniors, including five of Saturday evening’s starters in Hopper, Brown and defenders Addie Crowe, Addy Wiesmann and Maggie Marlin.
Even coming up short, sharing the ultimate stage with the Millers makes for a pretty memorable sendoff.
“It’s definitely a privilege to be here. Not the outcome we wanted, but I couldn’t have asked to do it with a better group of girls,” Crowe said. “We worked our butts off this season, grown more as people and players, so this performance doesn’t speak for what we’ve done.
“We just wanted to come out here and play our game. We had some mistakes that they capitalized on, but overall, I’m very proud of this team.”
