When Paul Bogarin got home, he told his family he was tired. His uniform was dirty, supporting his assertion.
But it was a ruse.
“I was really bad,” Bogarin said. “I was, like, really bad. I wouldn’t really play — I would just run and fall. That’s why I was dirty.”
Granted, he was 3 at the time.
Bogarin, now a junior forward/midfielder for Morton, has advanced well beyond those initial experiences.
He had 17 goals as the Governors (5-0) outscored their first four opponents 48-1 before Saturday’s 2-1 win over Crown Point. He scored 33 goals last season and had 11 as a freshman.
“He’s impossible to defend with the speed and the strength and the knowledge of the game,” Morton coach Chris Jagadich said of Bogarin. “He’s getting bigger and stronger every year.
“He’s always had the ability since I’ve known him as a freshman. The speed and strength has added to his game.”
In the offseason, Bogarin worked on those physical aspect as well as on developing his left foot. Throughout, team goals drove him.
After their second straight undefeated regular season, the Governors lost in penalty kicks to Lake Central in the final of the Class 3A East Chicago Central Sectional that also included Munster.
“We realized it’s not impossible to win a sectional and more,” Bogarin said. “We’re way more prepared this year. We’re hungrier than last year because we were a PK away.”
Jagadich praised Bogarin, a Division I prospect who has enjoyed considerable club success, for his team-focused approach.
“He’s not arrogant or thinking he’s above anybody else — he’s a pleasure to have on the team,” Jagadich said of Bogarin. “He’s sacrificed the ego, which is what every coach wants and every team needs.”
Jagadich also taught Bogarin last year in Advanced Placement English.
“To have a sophomore in a college-level class is rare,” Jagadich said. “But he’s a straight-A student and he likes challenges in the classroom, which is a beautiful thing.”
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Breaking through: Merrillville’s 1-0 win Wednesday against LaPorte was its first in the Duneland Athletic Conference since 2014.
Nikko Knight scored the lone goal on an assist from Jacob Maldonado, with Niko Djukic making 10 saves for the shutout.
The Pirates last had won a DAC game on Sept. 17, 2014, edging Michigan City 1-0. They went 1-6 that season before going 0-7 each of the last three.
Brian Past, who led the Pirates to back-to-back appearances to the state finals in 2001 and 2002 among his 22 seasons as coach, was excited to get back into the conference win column.
“Hopefully we can continue this level of play,” Past said.
Getting defensive: Chesterton scoring four goals Wednesday against Valparaiso was atypical of the rivalry game. But the Trojans also limited the Vikings’ quality scoring chances.
Sophomore goalkeeper Charlie Eaton needed to make only two saves to record the shutout. Senior Jack Eaton and junior Jordan Carlson started as central defenders, with senior Andy VanNoort and junior Kyle McEuen on the outside.
“Jordan and Jack do a pretty good job organizing back there,” first-year coach Lucas Sabedra said of Carlson and Eaton. “They’re both vocal, they keep it organized. The main thing, we always have an extra guy back there and we keep them covered.”