When Warren Central wrote down its goals before the season, the top priority wasn’t getting out of the district and making a run at a region title.

It was to allow fewer goals.

Looking back at last season, Warren Central allowed only 11 goals in 18 games. The Dragons were good, but they wanted to be better.

In 2017, they haven’t just been better, they’ve been the best in the state.

“Most teams get joy out of offense and scoring goals,” senior goalkeeper Kemal Esmic said. “I think we get joy out of stopping teams and causing frustration on them not being able to score or shoot the whole game.”

Warren Central (23-1) has done a good job of frustrating teams with the state’s best defense having allowed just eight goals all season. The Dragons, ranked 10th in the latest Maher rankings, hope that trend continues against No. 1 St. Xavier (21-3-2) Wednesday in the KHSAA state semifinals at Lafayette High School at 7 p.m. CDT.

Ryle, which plays defending champion Daviess County in the other semifinal matchup, holds the second-best defense at 13 goals allowed.

It helps when you have a veteran squad that started together as eighth-graders on the junior varsity team in fifth-year coach Aaron Ray’s shutdown defensive style. The Dragons pride themselves on limiting teams to about three shots per game, then their goals will come on their own.

Second-Team All-State keeper Esmic heads the three seniors on defense with First-Team All-State selection Elocho Ramazani holding down the middle and Kaw Wah shutting down the outside. Elocho’s brother, Wilondja, and August Say, both juniors, and sophomore Kiza Anzuruni are also big pieces to the defense.

“It’s just been special to coach,” Ray said. “The athleticism, you can’t really teach that, but the technique and paying attention to all the technical things as far as being a good defender, they’ve been excellent listeners and been very coachable.”

Warren Central started the year 12-0 with just two goals allowed before its first and only loss at Henderson County on Sept. 16 in a 2-0 defeat. Then the Dragons went an entire month without allowing a goal before running into an aggressive Hopkinsville team in the Boys’ Semi-State game that pounded Esmic with 20 shots on goal.

The senior keeper allowed two in the net in regulation before blocking all three of the Tigers’ shots in penalty kicks.

Esmic pulled through again Saturday in the Dragons’ 1-0 shootout win against Campbell County. Esmic blocked only one shot, but it was all Warren Central needed to move into the semifinals.

“During the actual season, playing Greenwood and going to PKs with them and going to South Warren and saving three there, it was just practice,” Esmic said. “After that, there was no pressure. Once Hopkinsville and Campbell County came around, we were so used to PKs that it’s no big deal for us.”

The latest penalty kick victory is the fourth to end in PKs for Warren Central this year and nine games have been won by one goal.

“We just stay calm and we know when Kemal is in goal, he’s got us,” Elocho Ramazani said. “We don’t worry about scoring because we know we’re going to put one in. When we put that one in, the game is over.”

Esmic, the Ramazanis and senior Wah are just the first group of a long line of classes that are succeeding in Ray’s defensive system. The JV team only allowed eight goals and finished 10-1.

“It’s the style of play and the way I’ve taught them to play defense,” Ray said. “They just come up playing that way. Last year when we didn’t have a good year, we still only allowed 11 goals. It’s kind of the style, but definitely this year it’s the group as well.”

Warren Central will play a St. X team with a record 12 state titles, but is in its first state tournament since 2012. St. X features two First-Team All-State players in midfielder Max Gordinier and defender Michael Hagerty, who was named the state’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Junior Conner George leads the Region 7 champion Tigers with 20 goals and five assists.

“St. X, they’ve been No. 1 all year and every team has given them their best shot and St. X is coming out on top of it convincingly,” Ray said. “Being the next team up to try our best and give them a shot, I think we’re ready and poised for the moment.”{&end}