KOKOMO — Faith Christian boys soccer finally got the monkey off its back.
The Eagles came up short in their last two regional championship games; a 2-1 loss in 2025 and a 1-0 loss in 2024, both of which were at the hands of Covenant Christian. Returning to Taylor High School for the third year in a row, they captured the program’s first-ever regional championship with a 1-0 Class A win over University on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Both of the previous two teams had the potential to do it, but the 2026 team set itself apart. With newcomers and mainstays over the last couple years, they owe it to the journey that got them to this moment.
“It means so much to all the people who came before us and how much this game means for us to finally do it for our school,” senior Luke Miller said. “It means the world, not just for our coach, but for all of us.”
Miller finished off Faith Christian’s only goal of the night, but also the only one it needed.
With 15:48 remaining in the first half, it had a corner kick opportunity. Senior Grant Callan kicked the ball right into the middle of the net, where a crowd of Eagles awaited. It was senior Christian Carlson who bounced it off his head towards University (14-7) goalkeeper Aidan Reed, in which Miller proceeded to knock it in.
“My coaches told me to stick on the goalkeeper,” Miller said. “I didn't think it was going to result in a goal or anything like that. It took no skill to tap one in, but I was lucky I was there and happy I was there as well.”
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Having that goal in their pocket early allowed Faith Christian (17-2) to be in the driver’s seat. It maintained most of the control with the ball and had several scoring opportunities, but Reed was able to make some tough saves against them.
The defense and Eagle goalkeeper Calvin Smitley held their own on the other end, preventing the Trailblazers from causing any real scares aside from a late surge in the second half.
It wasn’t a win with the stakes of its second-half comeback from a 3-0 deficit against Central Catholic in the sectional championship or a four-goal performance against Carroll in the regional semifinal. But it still displayed all of the things that have made this Faith Christian team special throughout the season.
“To have this team that just works so hard and plays so hard, and doesn’t have to always be pretty, but they get the job done so many times,” head coach Kevin Johns said. “Super happy that these guys were able to do it. Wish it could happen earlier, many seasons ago, but these guys do deserve it.
“All the work that they put in and the way they play the game, just really proud of them.”
The Eagles have lived by a motto of “scraps for state” this year. They might be scraping by in some of these games on the way to semi-state, but it’s gotten them this far. They’ll continue to stick to it, too.
It plays into the blue collar mentality that Johns described his team of having. The hustle that they display in chasing down loose balls, even when the game gets its toughest and fatigue sets in, is part of how the program got over the hump this time.
“It’s not that we deserve anything,” Johns said, “it’s not that other teams aren’t working hard, it’s just that we’re going to go out there and we’re going to work harder than the next guy. … That’s kind of the identity that these guys have latched onto, and that’s how I want to keep it.”
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The opportunity to make more history is still possible for Faith Christian. It will compete in its first crack at the semi-state championship with a matchup against Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (17-0-2), which defeated Morgan Township in a 9-0 blowout.
Even before knowing the opponent, it didn’t matter who it would be — the Eagles believe they have a chance.
“I really think whichever team wins, if it’s Blackhawk or anyone, I feel like we’re going to give them a battle and try our hardest, and do whatever we can,” senior Chase Mooneyhan said.
It will have to be a battle to overcome Blackhawk Christian. The Braves are the defending Class 1A State Champions and have rolled through most of their competition this season. They are ranked No. 2 overall in Indiana, behind No. 1 Bloomington South (3A), and are listed as the No. 10 team nationally.
To advance, Faith Christian will need even more heroics than it did against the Knights. And it isn’t going to stop believin’ that’s possible now.
“I believed in these guys all year, and I believe in them all the way to state,” Johns said. “We’re going to put another good week of practice in, and then we’re going to just go out there and scrap.”
Chase Gemes covers high school sports and Purdue women's basketball for the Journal & Courier. He can be reached at cgemes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Faith Christian boys soccer makes program history with regional win