NORTH VERNON — The Owls have been on a mission since the beginning of this season, using speed, stellar defense and timely offense to rack up wins throughout the year.

On Saturday, Seymour accomplished something it hasn’t done since 2009, winning the boys’ soccer sectional final over Jeffersonville 3-0.

The Owls and Red Devils poured their hearts out in a hard-fought battle, as Seymour emerged on top for the first sectional title under head coach Matthew Dennis.

Dennis enjoyed the moment and spoke about the feeling of capturing the sectional crown.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Dennis said. “These seniors have known since they were five or six years old and we’ve trained them for so long, to be able to cap it off with this win is great. Defensively we were really solid tonight. We knew what they were going to do, and I do not think we gave them a good chance or a good shot tonight.”

Seniors Thai Daraswad, Jake Loebker, and Juan Fernandez all spoke on the reality of being sectional champions.

“It feels great, everyone has been wanting this and it looks like the whole community came out to support us tonight,” Daraswad said. “Everyone has been wanting this since day one and has been focused from the beginning on this goal.”

Loebker along with the other guys have been looking forward to this moment for quite some time.

“It hasn’t happened since 2009. We’ve been looking forward to this for a while,” Loebker said. “This is the group and this the team that’s been playing together for a while, and we earned it.”

Fernandez thought it brought the team back up after not winning the Hoosier Hills Conference this season.

“It is a great feeling,” Fernandez said. “Throughout this season, we were not conference champions, we lost the ‘O’ Cup, we lost so much. But being a sectional champion just builds you back up.”

All three goals for the Owls came in the second half after a stalemate 0-0 score at intermission.

Marckenson Paul has been flying down the soccer field all season long, shifting direction and scoring goals for the team throughout the year. Paul scored his second goal of the sectional in the 42nd minute, off a pass from Evan Unterseher.

The entire Seymour section exploded when it hit the back of the net. Twenty six long minutes went by before another score took place, when Juan Fernandez scored with a header off a corner kick from Kayden Cox.

“In the attack we were close in the first half, they were very physical with us and knocked some of our best skill players of the ball,” Dennis said. “Dom, Myles and Marckenson all took a hit. I knew in the second half if we could get one score, then we could get two. It’s just an amazing feeling.”

The game was not pretty at all, cheap shots were taken, bodies were hitting the turf, it truly had the feel of a win-or-go-home situation.

That physicality got the better of Jeffersonville in the 70th minute, setting up the final goal for Loebker, who earned a penalty kick, fooling the Red Devils goalkeeper and the cherry on top for a 3-0 Owls win.

Lance Hubbard shutout Jeffersonville and picked up five saves in the goal. The back line of the Owls also played stellar defense throughout the evening.

After the win, the seniors spoke about the difference in the game.

“I think we played together, they had some good spurts, but in the end, it was our athleticism and playmaking that made the difference,” Loebker said.

Daraswad thought the team talk during halftime helped them out.

“I think this late in the season it comes down to who wants it more,” Daraswad said. “During halftime it was a tie game, and we talked each other up. Then we just came out wanting it more in the second half with all that energy.”

Fernandez believes it’s because they fought harder and wanted it more.

“I think we were just the stronger team and wanted it more,” Fernandez said. “We fought more throughout the entire game.”

This group of kids has been connected through soccer for quite some time. Coach Dennis spoke about winning with these players.

“These kids have been together for so long,” Dennis said. “That is what you want for these teams, the chance to play for this opportunity and hoist a trophy. We got it tonight and they will remember this night for the rest of their lives. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now for these boys.”

Daraswad certainly will not forget it anytime soon.

“It means so much,” Daraswad said. “We’ve played so much soccer together since we were six years old. Everyone is family at this point and it’s unbelievable to experience this with these guys.”

Even through club soccer and middle-school according to Fernandez.

“It means a lot, I’ve grown up with a bunch of these guys since middle school and club soccer as well,” Fernandez said. “These guys are like family; we have spent too much time and hours together. It just feels great winning with these boys.”

Awaiting the Owls (13-5) is Castle, who defeated Evansville Harrison to get to the regional semifinal. The Knights (14-3-1) will host the match at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The coach spoke about the upcoming matchup on Saturday and didn’t know who they would be facing for sure at the time.

“Even if it’s Castle or Harrison, when you look at both of them, they’re very good teams,” Dennis said. “We have seen them both over the summer and they are very good technically. There are no easy games from here on out with only 16 teams left playing soccer in the 3A bracket.”

He thinks the team must rely on the defense and let things go from there.

“We will need to lean on our defense and let it lead to our attack,” Dennis said. “We just have to keep leaning on our principles. We need to clean it up and put on a good show on Thursday, regardless of who it is.”

Tickets will need to be purchased through eventlink, which is the same website or app that was used for sectionals.

Sectional 15 Final — Jennings County

Owls 3, Red Devils 0

Scoring

Second Half

S: Marckenson Paul (Evan Unterseher), 42nd minute

S: Juan Fernandez (Kayden Cox), 67th minute.

S: Jake Loebker Penalty Kick, 70th minute

Statistics

Saves: Lance Hubbard, 5.