‘Everything we thought’
High-scoring Heritage Christian proves too much for Andrean in Class A state championship game
INDIANAPOLIS — Mary Dravet and her teammates on Andrean’s back line faced their stiffest test Saturday.
Defense has been the calling card for the 59ers, who had allowed just 12 goals in 21 games.
But Heritage Christian entered the Class A state championship game with 108 goals in 22 games. Freshmen Abby Foulk and Kya Crooke each had 30 goals for the Eagles.
“They definitely were everything we thought they were,” Dravet said.
Foulk’s hat trick — the first in the history of Indiana state finals — and Heritage Christian’s overall speed proved too much for Andrean, which lost 4-0 at IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Stadium.
“They had the speed and the touches on the ball,” Dravet said. “We just couldn’t fix what we were doing.”
Andrean (15-4-3) was making its third appearance in a state final.
“Being the only Region team left, it meant so much to get here,” Dravet said. “We were hoping to get here last year and lost in the regional championship. So when we got to that point this year, we said we weren’t going to leave until we got to state, and we did that. We knew in our heads if we got here that we were going to put it all on the field, and I believe that we did.”
Heritage Christian (15-8), which scored three goals in the second half, had a 14-3 shot advantage and put seven shots on goal to Andrean’s one.
Andrean coach Jeff Clapman said the Eagles didn’t compare to any team the 59ers played this season.
“It’s hard to deal with that kind of speed, it really is, and at some point you can’t stop it,” he said.
Clapman said Dravet, a fouryear varsity player, was the “heart of our defense for years.”
“We’ve relied on her so much, and she steps up every game,” Clapman said. “I have to give her a lot of credit for what she’s done for us . ... She knows the game really well, she’s confident and she always motivates other players — all of those things you’re expecting of a senior leader.”
Dravet referred to the defensive unit as a family.
“This defense has been so good this year, and I’m so proud of them, and we wouldn’t be here without them,” she said. “Our communication and connection as a unit has been there from the very start of the season, and we’re so close.”
Dravet is one of Andrean’s six seniors, along with leading goal scorer Bridget Sherman, Mia Dainton, Taylor Powell, Maria Trujillo and Hannah Preslin. Clapman called them “an amazing group of girls.”
Dravet passed along her advice to Andrean’s younger players.
“The underclassmen know how we work, and even though the seniors might have been tough on them, it’s all a mental game, and it’s our mentality that gets us here, and they just need to keep working at that aspect,” she said.
“We’ll always be there for them every step of the way, and they know that. Whether it’s a text or a call, we’re always here for them. We’re excited to see what they can do next year.”