Panthers end 10-year title drought

MERRILLVILLE -- With all sorts of players packed into the penalty box, there was a degree of confusion about how the heck the ball managed to find its way into the back of the net for the decisive goal, about who the heck scored it.

But there was no confusion about this: The Griffith boys soccer team is a sectional champion for the first time since 1998.

The Panthers edged Merrillville 3-2 in the final of the Merrillville Sectional on Saturday night, scoring the go-ahead goal with less than three minutes left in the game.

Matt Plawecki emerged as the goal-scorer, as the ball sneaked under the crossbar after Omar Quintanilla curled in a well-served left-footed corner kick. Even Plawecki had a bit of trouble explaining what happened.

"It went up in the air," he said. "I got a head on it. Their goalkeeper (Brandon Brack) got a hand on it, and somehow it wound up in the net. We'll take it."

Griffith (13-2) plays Crown Point Sectional winner Lake Central in the semifinals of the Merrillville Regional on Wednesday.

"It's a nice feeling, it always is," said Panthers coach Ron Knestrict, whose team's only losses this season have come to Munster and Andrean. "It's been a long time. It means a ton."

Said Plawecki: "It means everything -- for Coach Knestrict, the coaches, all the guys. It's incredible."

For Merrillville coach Brian Past, it was another gut-wrencher, the Pirates' third straight one-goal loss in a sectional final, including last season's to Andrean on a goal in the final minute of the second half of overtime.

"Unfortunately, 2:48 (the time of Griffith's decisive goal) is going to be ingrained in my head," said Past, whose team had trailed 2-0.

"Unfortunately, one of our big problems this year has been goals getting scored on us on set plays. I had a bad feeling about the corner kick. It's one of those things, you hope a defender gets a head on it or your keeper gets a hand on it. That's how it goes. I'm extremely proud of our guys. They fought hard."

Griffith took a 1-0 lead when Nick Bobowski blasted a shot from just inside the penalty box with 17-plus minutes left in the first half.

The Panthers made it 2-0 with 32-plus minutes left in the game, capitalizing on one of Jeff Melton's dangerous long throw-ins. Melton unleashed, the ball slipped through Brack's hands, and Kyle Terpstra was there to tap it into the net.

But Romeo Harper fueled a comeback for the Pirates (9-10), as the outside defender pushed up to forward in the early stages of the second half after they were down 2-0. After shutting down standout Andrean forward Tony Arvin in their emotional victory on Thursday and keeping the talented Plawecki relatively quiet for most of Saturday, he was instrumental in both of their goals against the Panthers.

Merrillville cut its deficit in half with 24-plus minutes when Harper scored on a rebound. Dan Torok -- who played a stellar game for Griffith, with 11 saves -- had made an excellent save on Ryan Stokes' close-range shot off a cross from Walter Barcenas, but Harper was there for the follow.

Less than four minutes later, Merrillville tied the score at 2-2 on Andrew Goralczyk's goal, following a Harper throw-in.

But Griffith was able to pull out the game in the waning moments.

"We regrouped," Knestrict said. "We got our composure back, and attacked. That's the key -- you have to keep attacking."