It took 20 years but the Rising Sun Shiners won the school’s first ever boys’ soccer game at the Providence Regional on Saturday, Oct. 13th in Clarksville.
The Shiners won their first sectional in 1998 and followed that up with another in 2000. Both lost in their regional game.
Rising Sun’s third sectional championship pitted them against South Spencer in the Class A regional second game with Providence winning the opener 1-0 over Vincennes Rivet.
Rising Sun junior Zac Brokaw missed several games with a knee injury but returned to help the Shiners win the sectional with a hat trick. He kept that scoring binge going with a quick goal (38:45 on the clock) put Rising Sun up 1-0 en route to a 3-1 win.
South Spencer tied the game with 20:32 left until halftime.
Leading scorer Jake Bovard drilled home the go ahead goal with 14:05 left after a crossing shot from Brokaw rebounded off the goalie to the feet of Bovard. The senior striker drilled home his 24th goal of the season.
Landon Cole, runner-up in goals scored (19), scored the insurance goal with 5:05 remaining in the game as senior Brent Webb moved the ball up the field and Cole put the ball past the keeper.
Webb, Brokaw and Brayden Bush had assists.
Shiner freshman Jordan Parsons had two saves.
Senior Nick Koons led the midfield defense along with freshman Kendall Montgomery and Bush.
Webb handled most of the Shiner free kicks with defenders Brogan Radcliff, Peyton Bell and James Bounds.
Ben Lewis and Owen Davis provided key minutes which included rest for Brokaw while moving Bounds to front line play.
Brendon Westrich, Timmy Cutter and Logan Wismann rounded out the regional qualifiers.
The win put Rising Sun in the final against Providence where the Shiners season ended 7-0.
Providence put in three quick goals at the 39:21, 37:27 and 34:39 marks. It was 4-0 with 30:40 on the clock and took a 5-0 lead at intermission with a goal at the 16:16 mark. They added two more goals in the second half.
Luke Heese had four goals for Providence.
Parsons had nine saves.
Rising Sun ended its season at 13-4-3 including an Ohio River Valley Conference championship and Jac-Cen-Del Sectional title after a 4-8-5 mark a year ago.
It was the final game for Webb, Bush, Bovard and Koons.
Providence advances to play Covent Christian who ousted Oldenburg Academy in the sectional.
