Eagles Band Together to Win State Soccer Title

With a swift kick late in the second half at Kuntz Stadium, Harrison Petts felt the pain melt away. As the Zionsville senior’s penalty kick in the 75th minute sailed through the Homestead defense and scorched the net, a month’s worth of hardship and stinging soreness in his right knee dissipated.

All that remained were thunderous applause and enthusiastic smiles reserved for a champion.

Waiting a year to get another shot at an elusive soccer state title after losing in the title match on penalty kicks, Petts and the Eagles accomplished their goal, and they did it as "one," defeating No. 13 Homestead 3-1 during the IHSAA state finals championship match this past weekend.

“We knew what we needed to do. We went after it together as a team,” Zionsville coach Bashir Birany said after his fourth-ranked Eagles savored victory at the historic Indianapolis venue. “That was our mission. We were all for one, one for all.”

For Petts, an Indiana University recruit, his decisive second-half goal punctuated the final chapter in an outstanding All-American high school career – one earmarked by the program’s first state championship in school history.

Sidelined since suffering a torn lateral collateral ligament against Lake Central in late September, Petts missed 10 games before returning to the pitch for the North Central Semistate the week prior.

Though slowed by the injury, the All-State forward made an immediate impact upon his reemergence. With his team down 1-0, the hobbled team captain scored the tying and go-ahead goals against rival Noblesville for a 2-1 semistate semifinal win, fueling the Eagles’ determination.

“It’s a leg-and-a-half,” Bashir said. “My gosh, that’s all heart. It’s not about the game anymore. It’s about the heart. It’s just remarkable.”

During the state finals, he added two more goals for 17 on the season. His second applied the finishing touch to a championship season. The first quieted his frustration, occurring against Lake Central in an emotional 1-0 semifinal victory.

“That one felt great,” said Petts, who was named the 2009 Eugene Cato Mental Attitude Award recipient. “The knee is definitely not 100 percent. My legs got tired pretty quickly out there, but I just had to fight through it.”

Despite the loss of Petts, the Eagles battled through to finish the regular season 12-3-2.

Led by a strong senior nucleus and the offensive prowess of A.J. Corrado and Dylan Mares, the Eagles won sectional, outscoring the competition 13-0 through two matches. The results were similar at regional.

Once Petts rejoined the team, however, everything fell back into its proper place as the Eagles charged forward.

Against Homestead, Zionsville out-shot the Spartans 23-7. Against Lake Central the margin was 22-9.

Homestead held a momentary 1-0 first-half lead, scoring off a Kegan Harkenrider goal in the 16th minute, but the defense slammed the door the rest of the way.

Seniors Casey Yott, Carter Mikesell, Andrew Griebel, Jay Townsend and goalkeeper Max Knorr limited the Spartans to three shots in the first half and only four in the second.

“If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know,” Birany said. “Nobody paid attention to those guys. They did a great job.”

Mares tied the game with a header in the 24th minute off a cross pass from Sam Fuller. In the 33rd minute, Petts connected with Adam Ward to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

“We’ve been down by one goal before,” Petts said. “We weren’t worried.”

Focused was more like it. United and ready to achieve their dream.

“I remember standing in the locker room after getting beat by (penalty kicks) last year at state. The first thing we said was, ‘next year is ours,’" Petts said.

“We’re all best friends. We’re together on and off the field. There’s nothing better than winning a state championship with your friends. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

Photos courtesy of Jeff Rider/INHSPHOTOS.COM