LINCOLN CITY — Andrew Dunkel wasn't required to find any extra movitation for his Gibson Southern soccer team.
That came naturally. The Titans were the Pocket Athletic Conference champions in 2025 but lost in the sectional championship. The outlook was reversed entering the tournament this year. No conference title and three ranked opponents standing in their way.
Not only is Gibson Southern the last team standing from that group – it's making program history.
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The Titans defeated Charlestown 2-1 on Saturday to win the Class 2A regional championship. It's only their second regional title ever, joining the 2014 winning team. Gibson Southern is actually closer to that goal this time. Only two are required now with a looming date against No. 5 Covenant Christian at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 at North.
"This team doesn’t quit right now," Dunkel said. "We have a goal. These boys are not ready to be done with each other. They play for each other. They just love each other."
This week was anything but straightfoward. Gibson Southern fell behind 2-0 in the regional semifinal at Mater Dei but emerged victorious in penalty kicks. The latest performance was a gritty, physical effort against an opponent with more recent postseason success – Charlestown has won three straight sectional titles.
Jeter Simmons put the Titans (14-5-1) on the board first with a left-footed rocket off the crossbar that deflected across the line. That lead didn't make it to halftime as Charlestown's Jamie Ortiz-Casillas found the equalizer with 4:26 remaining.
"We knew they were going to be physical," Dunkel said. "At halftime, we told them to just play our game. We settled into the game really well. Our boys kept their composure and just finished the job."
What came next showed how far Gibson Southern has come this season. Despite the pressure increasing, both from the moment and the opponent, the Titans capitalized on their chance. Juan Castano broke free with 30 minutes left and buried a goal from the left side. That was enough as the defense and goalkeeper Cale Ziliak (six saves) kept the Pirates off the scoreboard.
Gibson Southern hadn't won a sectional title in five years. It finished the regular season on a three-game losing streak. Yet, the program is a single victory from a trip to Indianapolis. The Titans caught magic at the perfect moment.
"The PAC was, top to bottom, excellent," Dunkel said. "We didn’t win it this year. I think that helped us motivate our team even more. We went and got the job done."
Class 3A regional: There is something special brewing within the Castle boys soccer program.
Very little about its latest postseason run came easy. Three victories with a single goal on the board. Three top-10 opponents. The margin for error has been nonexistent over the last two weeks. But every significant moment, without fail, has come up positive for the Knights.
None larger or bigger than what occurred on Saturday.
No. 1 Castle defeated No. 2 Bloomington South 4-3 in penalty kicks following a scoreless match to win the Class 3A regional championship at Seymour. The Knights (18-2-1) secured a spot in the semi-state round for the first time since 2021.
"The level that both of these teams have in terms of talent," Castle coach Spenser Negley said. "Not surprised it ended 0-0 and in PKs. Both sides were incredible."
This played like a state championship-level match. Castle didn't record a shot on goal until the 73rd minute. Bloomington South had marginally better results but couldn't break past senior goalkeeper Elliott Woodland. Neither side possibly relents if penalty kicks weren't required after 94 minutes.
The Knights received successful attempts from Lucas Jurado, Jace Reiter, Elijah Deutsch and Reid Ainscough. The Panthers (15-2-3) converted their first two. Then Woodland blocked the third with a dive to his right. Bloomington South sent its fifth and final attempt high to end the match.
"He’s a three-year starter," Negley said of his keeper. "Two-year captain, too. That doesn’t happen in our program very often. A great leader. A great kid. Not surprised he came up with the save that he did in that moment. I think he’s built for it."
Castle was inches from being eliminated in the sectional opener. It now plays Carmel (10-4-5) at 3 p.m. on Oct. 24 at North for a spot at the state championship. Few, if any, teams have been tested like the Knights in this tournament. They rose to the occasion once again.
"They’re absolutely resilient," Negley said.
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Class 1A regional: No. 10 Forest Park defeated No. 14 White River Valley 8-0 to earn its third regional title since 2022.
This was a dominant performance from start to finish. Four different players (Luke Meunier, Hunter Osborne, Parker Wolf and Gabe Schemenauer) scored in the opening half. Osborne added another shortly after the break to trigger the running clock. Meunier, Trevor James and Parker Werne also found the back of the net in the second half.
The eight goals nearly matched the Rangers' season high: nine against South Spencer and Wood Memorial. Neither compares to a regional championship against a ranked opponent. Forest Park (15-5) plays No. 4 Oldenburg Academy (17-3) at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 24 at Whiteland for a spot in the state finals.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Three Southwestern Indiana boys soccer teams win IHSAA regional championships