The 2019 season was supposed to belong to John Amador.
Three matches in, the Greenwood Christian junior had already totaled nine goals and four assists in helping the Cougars out to an unbeaten start and a top-10 state ranking in Class A.
Unfortunately, that was as far into the season as Amador got.
A torn anterior cruciate ligament sidelined him the rest of the way, forcing him to sit and watch as GCA struggled through a midseason slump without him before regrouping in time to win a third consecutive sectional championship and make the regional final for the first time.
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"I’m not going to lie; it was really tough," Amador said. "It was devastating to hear that it was an ACL when I heard the news, because I was really looking forward to junior year.
"It was hard, but I’m back."
Now a senior, Amador is ready to make up for the time he missed and lead the way for what will be a much younger Greenwood Christian team this fall.
"I think it’s going to be a major breakout season for him," GCA coach Jason Noel said. "We’ve got two seniors, so he’s going to be a very important figure in our whole game plan. I think he’s going to be somebody who is going to score a lot of goals, but also do a lot for us through other spots, too."
The scoring part has never been a problem. Amador tied for the team lead with nine goals as a freshman, and he punched home 15 more during his sophomore campaign. He’s hoping to improve significantly on those figures in 2020; setting the school record is among his individual goals.
But team success is the primary driving force. Though it has won five boys soccer sectionals in the last seven years, GCA has yet to claim a regional title in any boys sport (girls basketball won the school’s first overall this past winter).
Amador hopes to help change that. Despite not having a club season this spring and summer to ease him back into action earlier, he’s feeling much more confident and at ease with each passing day on the field, with every sprint, every cut and every shot.
Because it’s been so long since Amador has tasted real game action, and because the Cougars lost so many key pieces to graduation, Noel is tempering his expectations early but hopeful that it will come together by October.
"We’re going to take our lumps through the season," he said, "and hopefully by sectional time we’ve got it all figured out."
"We don’t have the same team as last year, but we’re going to work hard for it," Amador added. "I’m willing to do anything for this team, and we’re going to go far this year."
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Center Grove Trojans
Coach: Jameson McLaughlin
Last season: 14-3-1, lost to Perry Meridian in Class 3A sectional semifinal
Key returnees: Aaron McDaniel and Keoni Shake, seniors; Aiden Kinstler and Ethan McGee, juniors; Caden York, sophomore
Top newcomer: Christian Badalato, senior
Outlook: The bad news is that the Trojans lost 14 seniors, including 10 starters, from a team that was ranked in the state’s top 10 for most of the year before an upset sectional loss against annual nemesis Perry Meridian. The good news is that McLaughlin always seems to reload with fresh talent, and that should be the case again. McDaniel, the lone returning starter, will be the center of attention, and McGee and Shake should help bring some stability to a young defense. Badalato, who moves back after living in China for a year, is expected to make some contributions as well. It might take more time than usual for Center Grove to find its groove, but this should again be a powerful team capable of big things by year’s end.
Franklin Grizzly Cubs
Coach: Tony Harris
Last season: 11-5-1, lost to Center Grove in first round of Class 3A sectional
Key returnees: Nick Cambridge, Collin Haveman, Jack Henderson, Aaron Richards, Cole Walker, Tyler Williams and Nick Woods, seniors; Griffin Atkison, Luke Cambridge, Drew Nemeth and Riley Shaff, sophomores
Top newcomers: Isaac Barnett, sophomore; Adam Ott, Braden Petro and J.D. Sever, freshmen
Outlook: After winning 11 games with a young team last year, the Grizzly Cubs are still a little bit on the green side but far more experienced. Haveman and Woods will be counted on to lead a group of seniors stepping into bigger roles, bolstered by a talented group of underclassmen such as Atkison. Henderson, the goaltender a year ago, will play out in the field this fall; Shaff and Ott will spend the preseason battling to replace him. Provided Franklin can be solid on the defensive end, it should again be a contender in the Mid-State Conference as it always is.
Greenwood Woodmen
Coach: Dan Weber
Last season: 2-15, lost to Southport in Class 3A sectional semifinal
Key returnees: Emanual Luna, senior; Josh Harris and Konner Winn, juniors; Ethan Baugh, Brennen Cain, A.J. Linville, Nick Mullins, Ty Williamson and Edan Young, sophomores
Top newcomers: David Young, senior; Nick Ruzvidzo and Fredy Tello-Hernandez, sophomore; Gavin Armstrong and Fabian Martin, freshmen
Outlook: Though the Woodmen lost quite a bit to graduation in terms of numbers, Weber believes he has more talent than he’s had in his four years. An influx of experienced club players in the freshman and sophomore classes should make Greenwood a team to watch in the future — and possibly a dangerous sleeper squad in the present. The Young brothers could be a potent combination up top, one that could potentially hold the fort while a young defense finds its footing.
Greenwood Christian Cougars
Coach: Jason Noel
Last season: 14-7, won sectional title; lost to Indianapolis Lutheran in Class A regional final
Key returnees: John Amador, senior; Fernando Lagunas and Ethan Rothrock, juniors; Sam Graves and Parker Satre, sophomores
Top newcomers: Isaac Vessely, sophomore; Colton Flint and Charlie Overton, freshmen
Outlook: Graduation took its toll on the Cougars, who lose nine players from last year’s regional finalist — but the team gets a big boost in the form of a healthy Amador, who was the team’s top scorer until an ACL tear ended his junior year early. Amador, Graves and Lagunas should lead what Noel believes will be a potent offense. GCA’s success will hinge on whether a young defense can hold up its end of the bargain; Vessely will try to replace his older brother Gabe in goal.
Whiteland Warriors
Coach: Justin VanHorn
Last season: 10-4-3, shared Mid-State Conference title; lost to Perry Meridian in first round of Class 3A sectional
Key returnees: Jakob Beaulieu, Ethan Snipes and Tristan Thomas, seniors; Nolan Ferguson, junior; Yahir Lugardo, David Mathis and Elliott Spangler, sophomores
Top newcomer: J.D. Lompo, freshman
Outlook: The Warriors will need to find some new sources of offense after losing the All-County duo of Trevor Pike and Riccardo Sicchiero, but VanHorn does have seven starters returning, led by a solid group of seniors and an excellent netminder in Ferguson. There are a couple of vacancies on the back line to fill as well, but Whiteland has enough talent and experience on hand that it expects to again be in the hunt for the Mid-State Conference crown.
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