Warren Central Soccer dominant in run to 2A State Championship
By Perry Swack
What’s better than one state championship? Two. The Warren Central boys’ soccer team etched its name in the record books this weekend en route to a second-straight 2A state title, defeating Rowan County (7-0) and DeSales (3-0) along the way. The Dragons did not participate in the inaugural competition in 2021 but have now won consecutive championships in ‘22 and ‘23.
The 2A matches started off with a bang, as WC dispatched Glasgow and Logan County by a combined score of 30-1. In the final Section 2 match with Franklin-Simpson, Central faced its only deficit of the event. Trailing 1-0 in the second half, the Dragons scored three times after the break as Peter Thang’s 72nd-minute winner was enough to prevent the Wildcats from advancing.
The Dragons began to imprint their will on the competition in the later rounds. Two goals in the opening 22 minutes by freshman Daniel Rivas put WC out to an insurmountable lead it would not relinquish. Keeper Almian Sakanovic was only challenged once as Central rolled Marion County 5-0 and punched its ticket to the 2A Final Four.
The 2A semifinals and finals were played in Owensboro at Steele Stadium. Entering as defending champs, the Dragons seemed unfazed by any potential pressure. Rivas again scored the opener to put WC in front and by the time the full-time whistle was blown it was 7-0. A Mzaliwa Noel brace led the way as the club punched its ticket to the 2A finale.
Warren Central faced off with DeSales in the championship match. The two sides were scoreless until the 19th minute when the sophomore Thang tapped in an error from the Colts. Central held a one-goal lead until the 66th when junior Jayreeve Edgar doubled the Dragons’ advantage. Moments later Noel put the proverbial nail in the coffin and scored the game’s third and final goal.
3-0. Champions Again.
Noel, Shabani Issa, Vitale Lubala, Houng Ha were all named to the All-Tournament team, while Sakanovic was named the MVP after keeping two clean sheets in the final four and making three saves in the finale.
The historical impact of the Dragons’ run will be felt in the 2A state record books. Only a sophomore, Noel became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with his three-goal performance in the final two games. He also became the all-time leader in “points”, which combine goals (two points) and assists (one point). Sakanovic tied the tournament record with two shutouts, while freshman Daudi Kaburu set a record for most assists in a final four match with two against Rowan County.
The individual records are certainly impressive, but the record of two state championships stands alone.
