Marian boys soccer ready for state championship

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (WNDU) - The Marian Knights boys soccer team will try to win the program’s third state championship on Saturday when it faces Brebeuf Jesuit in Indianapolis.

This Marian team has had playoff games in this tournament that they’ve cruised to wins. For example, they’ve won two games 9-0.

They’ve also had a few games where it comes down the very end. But still, they’re able to get results. The team told 16 Sports what they do well when it’s do-or-die.

“We always talk about managing the game,” said Head Coach Ben Householter. “We’ve had big leads and we kind of trifle them away a lot in the playoffs. So definitely, we tell them ‘Manage the game, play simple, communicate, do those simple things that are going to take care of the game.’”

“Usually, we’re up and we’re like, ‘Okay we’re chilling,’ and then eventually we lose our energy,” said Eli Moody, junior midfielder. “And then at the very end, we’re like ‘Okay, we are not going to lose this game.’ So, we’ve got to push and then make sure we don’t lose.”.

“Our perseverance to the end,” said Zach Fewell, senior midfielder. “If we’re not 100 percent, we’re trying 100 percent. We just try as hard as we can, and we get it done.”

The team also touched on what it would mean to be state champions.

“It would mean the world,” Fewell said. “I mean, just seeing all the hard work this team has put in throughout the whole entire year for the last four or five months, just for it to all pay off would be really cool to me.”

“I mean, to play here, this is as far as we can get, so it means a lot,” Moody said. “I mean, it would mean the world to me. I’ve been looking forward to this a lot.”

Householter was the head coach for the two previous state championships, but he’s still excited to see this year’s team get a chance.

“I would be so happy for them,” Householter said. “They’ve worked so hard and they set these goals at the start of the year. I’d just be overjoyed because of what they put in, and it’s been a long season with some ups and downs. I’d just be so happy that they accomplished the goals they set for themselves.”

The Knights will Face Brebeuf Jesuit in the Class 2A State Final on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.

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