Year ends on late goal

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NEW CASTLE — The Tigers had tried the play any chance they got.

Get the ball to the corner, send a cross toward the middle of the field and try to unleash a shot at the net.

For 79-plus minutes, the plan didn’t work.

With just ticks remaining on the clock it finally did.

Mo Schohatee blasted a centering pass from the left corner and Regan Frost put a shot past goalkeeper Seth Fugiett with 12.5 seconds left as the Yorktown Tigers stunned the Jay County High School boys soccer team Tuesday in an opening-round game of the Class 2A Sectional 24 tournament.

“They had a few opportunities on that,” said JCHS coach Brad Horn, whose team ends the year 6-7-3. “I knew if we gave them much more it was going to happen.”

Nearly 15 minutes earlier, Horn had an inkling the Tigers — they advance to the sectional semifinal against Muncie Burris on Wednesday — were going to break through.

“I sent a glance over to (assistant coach Zach Fullenkamp) at the 15-minute mark,” he said. “I saw them getting something. I said ‘This is probably going to be it.’

“I could feel the vibe.”

First-year Yorktown coach Shane Guinn said his team, which improved to 6-10, was fortunate to finally put an end to a game that appeared as if it was going to take overtime to decide.

“We had been working on that build up and unfortunately what we were doing was trying to chip it into the air too much,” he said. “We kept it on the ground like we had been hoping for and were able to get in on a good run by Regan Frost.”

Yorktown’s sophomore defender Matt Mitsch began the play, sending a through ball to the left corner and up to Schohatee. Near the 10-yard box, Frost awaited the cross pass and put a shot to the near post that Fugiett wasn’t able to reach.

The Tigers swarmed Frost, as some of the Patriots put their jerseys over their heads in dismay. Daniel Fugiett bent over with his head in his hands at the 21-yard line — New Castle’s football and soccer teams share a field — as the cheering Tigers celebrated their eventual game-winning goal mere feet away.

“They just executed it perfectly,” Horn said. “Hats off to Yorktown. They played a great game. We played a great game. It was a great game overall.”

The first 79 minutes saw each team get its chances, but Seth Fugiett — one of three JCHS seniors who had their careers come to a close — turned away every chance the Tigers sent at him. The first-year goalkeeper finished with 11 saves, six of which came in the first half.

But it’s the one he wasn’t able to stop he’ll remember most.

“Seth did not expect him to play goalie for us this year but he was phenomenal,” Horn said, noting his ability to seemingly stand on his head to keep the Patriots in games this season.

Jay County, which lost to Yorktown 2-0 on Sept. 23 and in last year’s sectional semifinal, had its opportunities as well. Ian McCombs had a chance at an open net sail wide left early in the first half, and he had a header in the second half that was also off frame.

Derrian Riojas attempted to slip behind the Yorktown defense throughout most of the game, and the handful of occasions it seemed as if he had a step on the Yorktown defense but he wasn’t able to break free for a one-on-one with Tiger keeper Chris Reff. The Yorktown senior who turned away all six Patriot shots on goal.

“It was open nets, the ball just didn’t bounce right,” Horn said of his team’s best chances to break the tie. “None of them were (with the) ball on the ground, easy kicking opportunity. They were all volley opportunities. Volley opportunities, you never know what kind of bounce you’re going to get.

“They fought hard. I have nothing bad to say about the game at all.”