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The Zionsville Eagles laid claim to the school’s first boys soccer state championship by defeating the Homestead Spartans, 3-1, on Saturday evening at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis.  It was the Eagles’ second straight trip to the championship game; Zionsville came up short against Evansville Memorial in last year’s state final by score of 3-2 (5-4 PK).

The Spartans (18-4-1) got on the scoreboard first in the 16th minute courtesy of a goal by senior forward Kegan Harkenrider, assisted by senior midfielder Connor McMahon. The Eagles would not trail for long, responding in the 24th minute with a Dylan Mares header to tie the match.  The goal was Mares’ 24th of the season, tying him with fellow senior A.J. Corrado for the team high.  The Eagles took the lead when senior midfielder Adam Ward connected off a pass from senior forward Harrsion Petts to make the score 2-1 at the end of the first half. The goal was Ward’s third of the season, while Petts recorded his eighth assist.

With just under six minutes left in the second half, Petts scored his second goal of the night off of a penalty kick.  The senior captain placed the ball in the upper right corner past Homestead senior goalkeeper Justin Hanford to make the score 3-1.  Zionsville out-shot Homestead 9-4 in the second half and 23-7 overall.

Coach Bashir Birany’s Eagles advanced to the final match with a 1-0 shutout of Lake Central (21-2-1) in Saturday’s semifinal match.  The Eagles finished the season with a record 19-3-1. Coach Paco Castillo’s Spartans advanced to the final match with a 4-1 victory over Columbus North (18-3-4) in the semifinal round.  Homestead finished the season with a 18-4-1 record.

ZIONSVILLE’S HARRISON PETTS NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE WINNER
Harrison Petts of Zionsville High School was named winner of the 2009 C. Eugene Cato Mental Attitude Award for Boys Soccer by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee.

Petts is the Student Promotion Leader for the Sports Marketing Club, and is a member of the Math Club and “Eagles as Leaders and Rising Stars” program at Zionsville.  He has also been involved with the NCAA Stay In Bounds program.  Harrison works closely with the youth in Zionsville by volunteering at numerous soccer camps and clinics, while maintaining a 4.03 grade point average.

Among the many accomplishments throughout his soccer career, Petts was named to the 2008 All-State Team and was deemed a First Team NSCAA All-American.  He was named the Indianapolis Star Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year for his 2008-09 campaign.  Petts led last year’s Zionsville squad to the state championship game as the goals and assists leader for the Eagles, and was also a member of the 2008-09 U.S. National U18 team.  He plans to enroll in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Petts is the son of Dan and Jody Petts of Zionsville.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate partner, presented a scholarship check for $1,000.00 to Zionsville High School in the name of Harrison Petts.  Since 1989, more than $575,000 in college scholarships have been presented by Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance to deserving high school students in Indiana.