Warsaw Kickers Open Season With Loss To CarrollWarsaw boys soccer coach Frank Courtois doesn't shy away from tough competition.
Saturday's season opener against the visiting Carroll Chargers was proof of that.
In a matchup of programs accustomed to postseason success, the difference was a pileup of players in Warsaw's goal, which allowed Carroll sophomore Evan Jester to rebound a teammate's miss and put it in the net in the 63rd minute of the 80-minute match.
Jester's goal lifted Carroll, a team that advanced to the semistate last season, to a 1-0 win over the hosts.
"It was a pileup, everybody was trying to get to the ball, and their guy headed it in," Courtois said of the match's only goal.
"We told the guys it could come down to one mistake, and that's what it takes to win the game. That's what happened. Give Carroll credit, they have a good side, and they play us good every year. We always want to play good teams to let us know what we need to work on and where we need to go."
Warsaw scored in the 25th minute, but the Tigers were called offsides.
The hosts also just missed putting the ball in the net in the 59th, 66th and 72nd minutes.
"We had several opportunities, and in soccer you're gonna have that," said Courtois. "You're gonna have games where you're hitting the crossbar, post, everything and the ball doesn't go in the goal."
