'Future is bright' for Muncie Central boys soccer with best start since 2015

MUNCIE, Ind. — A team never wants to lose to its in-town rival, let alone trail after the first few minutes of play.

That was the position Muncie Central boys soccer found itself in against Muncie Burris on Wednesday, down 1-0 early at the Briner Sports Complex as the Owls began as the aggressors.

Junior Finn Gruver soon notched the tying goal, only for Burris' to strike again. Head coach Shea Hill called it a mistake by his junior goalkeeper, Tucker Lowe, who Hill felt was too focused on what to do with the ball after making the save than ensuring the save itself.

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It was deflating in the moment, but Central is no longer the losing team it's been in recent years. Lowe and his teammates rose to the challenge, with junior Ezra Fuller tying the score by halftime before junior Josh Sexton's two goals in the second half secured a comeback victory.

Hill bearhugged Lowe in the postgame huddle, relaying to the team how his goalkeeper's strong second-half performance exemplified the progress they've all made in overcoming mistakes and obstacles. It's a new Bearcats bunch, one whose 5-2 record is the program's best start since 2015.

"We love it," Sexton said of the team's strong start. "It feels amazing to be a successful sports team because it doesn't come very often at Muncie Central, but we're very glad that we can make that happen for our school."

Now in his 14th year leading Central and sitting just five wins away from 100 overall, Hill has seen everything from the team's three straight sectional titles from 2007-09 to its recent decline.

Part of the problem was out of the program's control. Hill said changes within Muncie Community Schools led to a reduced student population, and some middle schoolers chose to attend high schools nearby like Yorktown, Delta and Monroe Central.

Hill, a Central and Ball State University graduate, sought to take advantage of Central's situation stabilizing in recent years, talking with local families about getting their kids to play the sport earlier and be a part of the Bearcats revamped soccer culture.

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Over time, it worked, and the class of 2024 has largely changed the trajectory of the program.

"When they came in as freshmen, it was the first time that we'd had more than four or five club players on the team in a long time, and having these year-round players that have played together for a while, that makes a difference," Hill said. "That first year they came in, they got a couple of wins that people didn't expect them to get. You saw maybe there was a bit of a changing of the guard."

This now-junior class helped Central go 6-10 and 7-10-1 in the past two years, an improvement over the team's 3-13 record in 2019. But Hill still felt more change was needed to capitalize on this upswing, so he and his coaches implemented a redesigned schedule this summer.

Hill felt he was in a "rut" with the team's old routine, expecting better results despite utilizing the same training strategies. This summer, however, the Bearcats saw high-level competition during camps at Indiana Wesleyan University and Purdue Fort Wayne, playing bigger schools like Chesterton, Valparaiso, Harrison and McCutchen, most of which gave Central's coaches useful feedback.

The coaching staff learned more about what does and doesn't work for its players, how to better utilize their strengths, and found ideal formations earlier than ever before. By the time the Bearcats finished their preseason matches, they already knew the type of team they wanted to be, rather than still finding their footing during the fall.

"We've really gotten down to fluid passes and looking for feet rather than doing those big (shots)," Sexton said. "It's helped out a lot and we're staying a lot more composed."

Junior Finn Gruver and Sexton have been the biggest statistical beneficiaries of Central's success, leading the Bearcats with 28 points and 12 goals, respectively. Fuller leads in assists with 10 and has become the team's vocal leader, one who celebrates his teammates' accomplishments while making sure they don't get ahead of themselves.

He's a student of the game and wants his peers to succeed both mentally and physically on the pitch. In a "chippy" matchup with Burris, he was proud his group stayed poised and didn't backdown.

"We've just got to keep growing like we have been," Fuller said. "We're going to play some some big teams coming up in sectionals, so we've got to be able to rise to the challenge and keep the energy high when we need to."

Central's newfound success has also come without junior Mason Nichols, the center of the team's defense last year. He tore his ACL and meniscus last spring during his club soccer season, and although he can't help the team on the field, Nichols is doing his best to assist on the sidelines.

He's taking the team's statistics, which Hill said have been the best and most advanced he's had in his time with the Bearcats.

Nichols' leadership qualities have also been a bright spot. For the first time, he can fully focus on his team's performance instead of worrying about doing his job as a player. Nichols said it's allowed him to better understand how all the parts of Central's team come together, what does and doesn't work, and he's not hesitant to provide positive or negative feed back to his teammates.

He'd much prefer to be playing, but being around every week is better than nothing.

"I hate it. It's awful. But I'm trying to make the best out of awful situation, not always succeeding, but Shea is a great coach and has helped me out," Nichols said. "I go to practices ... I talk to the boys one-on-one, whatever I see on the pitch, I tell them ... approach them passively, trying to help them understand that they have someone on their side who understands the mistakes but also a way to improve."

With only two seniors on the roster, Central has a good chance to be even better in 2023. The players are excited about the future, yet games like a 3-0 loss to Arsenal Tech and proved they still have plenty of room to grow.

Hill's mission going forward with this core is to not be satisfied with local success. He wants these boys and future classes to strive to compete at the conference and postseason level.

The team's motto this season is 'Our Way,' ultimately a pledge to establish their own Central boys soccer identity and culture. But they also know they have to earn it and not forget where the Bearcats used to be.

"Nothing's going to be given these guys. There's so many good teams around here," Hill said. "The future's bright, but we're working hard to keep the light on."

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.