BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington South girls soccer team had just two seniors in the starting lineup for Wednesday's Class 3A home regional semifinal against No. 5 Center Grove.
And right after a postseason loss, it always feels too early to look back and too early to look ahead, as well. But the hope is midfielder Addy Alexander and goalkeeper Palomo Martinez will have an outsized influence on next year's team, just as they had on the 2026 squad that made big gains leading to a sectional title.
That duo kept the Panthers pointed in the right direction, which might mean a third straight regional match with the Trojans next year if South follows their lead after a tough 2-0 loss to the No. 5 Trojans.
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Center Grove won their meeting 3-0 in the first week of the season, but it was no comparison to this one.
"I think those two games speak volumes," South coach David Rall said. "It was 3-0, could have been six, honestly. We were not competitive in that game, and this game, I thought we gave them everything they wanted.
"I thought we grew so much and the seniors did a great job of leading. They just got better every week. I just told them it was just a fun group. I wish we could keep playing."
Martinez did everything she could to make that happen, with big save after big save to thwart the Trojans until late.
"I said she's the best keeper that's been here and she played like it," Prall said. "The growth of her off the field and as a woman I thought, the goalkeeper stuff was great, but the leadership was just really good. She was just so committed and wanted everybody to do well, and I feel it allowed us to grow."
Alexander's presence was a welcome sight after she missed nearly all of last year with ACL injury.
"That's the best I've ever seen anybody come off an ACL, honestly," Prall said. "I still think she's playing at 80%. She got us all those free kicks. She's smart enough to where she gets in front of people."
And Prall sees a bright future because of what those two did.
"Each group's different, and the leadership matters so much," Prall said. "It's just about getting better and staying healthy. I really like where we're headed. But I really like this team. Hopefully, the girls all just enjoyed this year and I'll think about next year some other time."
South 'kept fighting'
In a game where it wouldn't take much to tip the scales either way, the Trojans (15-2-2) caught a lucky break just four minutes in after earning a corner kick. The ball sailed toward the far post, found the head of a Panther defender, deflected to the ground and hopped right over Martinez and into the goal.
It made an already uphill climb even tougher.
From there, Center Grove kept the pressure on with four more corners, but Martinez wouldn't crack. Center Grove's transition was lightning quick. And if South failed to intercept long kicks at midfield, they all seemed to take lively bounces that gave the Trojans' forwards momentum toward goal.
"Those two up front are as good as you're going to find," Prall said of Center Grove's Jocelyn Franklin and Mia Marlin. "They're tough to deal with, and they hold the ball well."
But it remained 1-0 at half.
"That's what was so impressive about it," Prall said. "We could've just, 'Oh, that's an unlucky goal. Boo-hoo.' But they kept playing and kept fighting.
"Halftime, we said, 'Next goal wins. If we got one, we were going to go on and win the game.' And that's the way they played in the second half. We didn't quite have the legs, but I felt (Center Grove) was getting more nervous and we were growing into the game as it was going."
Center Grove made some changes in formation as South had strong possession over the first 15 minutes after the break, but getting free in the final third remained elusive.
"Coming out the second half, I thought we controlled the ball well," Prall said. "But it's a game of runs and they did a good job of limiting our corners."
Martinez kept making plays, including getting the better of a 4-on-1 breakout after a free kick near the Trojans box was blocked.
But eventually, a cross and a flick by Franklin made it 2-0 with 6:47 left. And even on that, Martinez dove and got her hands on it but not enough to keep its momentum from rolling into the goal, sending the Panthers off to celebrate a senior class with 55 wins.
"If we're good next year, it's because of the work they did this year and the seniors who really sent this group forward," Prall said. "I think they gave them a chance to be really good next year. The leadership of Paloma and Addy has made us improve so much.
"It's always building, right?"
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Center Grove ends run for Bloomington South girls soccer senior duo