In a rematch of last year’s Class 2A state championship game , Hamilton Southeastern (11-4) came up just short Friday night, losing 10-9 to the Carmel Greyhounds (10-2) in a rain-soaked affair at Brian Murray Stadium in Carmel.
The Royals, who took down Carmel 10-6 in last years championship, found themselves playing against both the Greyhounds and the weather. Heavy rain at times made the turf slick and unreliable, but the intensity and passion never wavered.
Max Kemp got HSE off to a quick start, scoring in just two minutes at the 10:16 mark. However, Carmel responded with five consecutive goals off of 6 HSE turnovers, taking a quick 5-1 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Southeastern came out strong to start the second quarter. Marcus Laux punched one home at 10:38 off an assist from Dillon O’Rourke, who was playing through an ankle injury. Kyle Jenkins followed up with another goal 1 minute later at 9:33, but Carmel would push the lead back to 7-4 with two more quick goals.
The Royals who were determined to fight back, kept up their pressure. O’Rourke scored at 5:10, despite the injury, and Kemp added another goal within just 10 seconds to cut Carmel’s lead to just 1 goal, now down 7-6. With 2:22 left in the half, Kemp tied the game at 7-7, sending the teams into halftime all even. Fired up, he directed some animated words toward the Carmel student section, letting them know what he thought about the game.
Carmel would regain the lead in the third, scoring at 3:56, then adding another goal in the final seconds, pushing their lead to 9-7 heading into the fourth quarter. But HSE wasn’t finished yet.
David Gould scored off an assist from Ben Speckman at 7:24, cutting the lead to 9-8. Then, just seven seconds later, face-off specialist Nick Weber took the ball down the field tied the game 9-9 with a lightning quick play that brought the Royals players to life. But Carmel responded with the game-winner as Carmel junior Ike Stitle scored at 6:05, giving the Greyhounds a 10-9 lead they wouldn’t give up.
O’Rourke, despite his injury, played a big role in the midfield, collecting four total ground balls and forcing three turnovers. Weber led the team with eight ground balls, contributing to a very strong defensive effort throughout the game.
The loss marked HSE’s first defeat to an in state opponent this season, dropping the Royals to 11-4. Carmel recorded their first regular-season victory against the Royals since 2020, improving their record to 10-2. Southeastern will look to bounce back after a 4 game skid next Friday with a road game at Zionsville.
