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Bethany Christian Secures First Ever State Championship
Class 1A Boys Soccer State Championship
Final | Bethany Christian 2, Forest Park 1 (3-1 PKs)
INDIANAPOLIS - When you’re one of the smallest schools in the state and one that has never won a state championship in any sport, grit, confidence and, perhaps, a dose of patience would be needed to break through.
Bethany Christian, a school of 138 students total, faced a 1-0 deficit with barely two minutes left in the Class 1-A boys title game, yet tied the contest on a goal by sophomore Sawyer Beachy, then got a brilliant performance by goalkeeper Jacoby Reinhardt to take the penalty-kick round, 3-1.
“It sounds wonderful,” BC coach Tony Janzen said when asked about winning the school’s first state championship. “It’s been a wild ride and I’m relieved it’s over. It’s been a long few weeks.”
Instead, it will be a short bus ride home for the fourth-ranked Bruins, who finished the season 16-4-2, winning their final seven games.
For the first 77 minutes, however, things didn’t look so rosy for Bethany Christian.
Forest Park withstood an early onslaught by the Bruins with goalkeeper Charlie Hasenour standing tall and keeping BC off the scoreboard.
It was the Rangers (15-8) who broke through in the 49th minute on an unassisted goal by senior Gus Hagedorn.
Bethany Christian turned up the heat after the goal, especially as the clock wound down. As the Bruins needed more urgency, Janzen adjusted his front line by playing with three forwards instead of one. It still looked like it might not be enough as Hasenour came up with two brilliant saves, one in the 63rd minute and another in the 64th to keep the Rangers ahead.
Finally, in the 78th minute, senior Jayden Schlabach took a pass on a throw-in up the right side and sent a beautiful crossing pass to Beachy who had an open net at the doorstep on the left side.
“That goal was such a great team goal,” Janzen said. “I felt we were the better team most of the game and to be down, 1-0, I was just proud of the effort the guys showed."
The teams played scoreless the remainder of regulation time and during the two seven-minute overtime periods.
In the shootout, Reinhardt stopped the first three Rangers shots, while BC had converted twice. In round four, after Forest Park finally beat Reinhardt, Schlabach stepped up and beat Hasenour to the upper left for the clincher.
“I’m not going to lie, I’ve never saved three shots in a row,” Reinhardt admitted, “but I was on my game today. It was the perfect time for that."
“This was such a heartbreaking loss,” Forest Park coach Mike Foerster said. “We had them with two minutes to go and they squeaked one in the back of the net. We had 14 more minutes, but I guess PKs just weren’t our thing today.”
Both teams were making their initial appearances in the state finals.
Forest Park's Hagedorn receives Cato Mental Attitude Award
Following the match, Gus Hagedorn of Forest Park High School was named the recipient of the C. Eugene Cato Mental Attitude Award.
An Academic All-State honoree, Hagedorn ranks first in his senior class of 71 students and is a member of the National Honor Society, Spell Bowl, and Community Impact Club at Forest Park. He is also a member of Forest Park's Track and Field team and was named All-Conference in the 400 meter last year.
The son of Amy and Andy Hagedorn of Bristow, Ind., Gus intends to study Mechanical Engineering with a Spanish minor at Purdue University.
The award is annually presented to a senior, who is nominated by his principal and coach, and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability during his four years of high school. The award is named in honor of Mr. Cato, who served the IHSAA as its fifth commissioner from 1983 to 1995. During his tenure, boys and girls soccer became the 19th and 20th sports to be sponsored by the IHSAA.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, a proud corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to the general scholarship fund at Forest Park High School in the name of Gus Hagedorn.
