The Classical Academy’s junior Drew Cagan took last soccer season off, but that didn’t mean he put in less work going into the fall.

During the offseason, Cagan put in extra time in the gym and on the field to be ready to return to the pitch with the Titans. That work paid off, resulting in TCA’s lone goal Saturday night to win 1-0 at home over Vista Ridge.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Cagan, a junior, said. “I’m really proud to represent my school and just happy to be in the moment. I don’t focus on the past or the future. I just focus on the present because that is the best gift we have.”

After playing on junior varsity his freshman year, Cagan took the next season off to coach at the YMCA. When asked what brought him back, he paused to collect his thoughts.

“I don’t know, this school is really special,” Cagan said. “I forgot how special it was to represent it. I’m glad I found that again. It’s a really special group of people and I’m really happy to be part of everything we have here. It’s just a really good environment. I love everyone on the team.”

The game remained scoreless in the first half, but both teams stayed aggressive even when it started raining in the 27th minute. The Titan defense particularly shined throughout the whole game, keeping the Wolves scoreless.

“It was a good win,” TCA coach Blake Galvin said. “They kept up the intensity, fought through the whole match and put in the work necessary to get the job done. That’s something we have been talking about is just putting in the work. We’ve got a lot of talent and just need to put in the work behind that talent. They did a good job with that.”

The rain cleared to start the second half, which was just as competitive as the first. In the 58th minute, Cagan, a forward, found an opening to score the first and only point of the game.

“Drew did great for us,” Galvin said. “He has really impressed us lately in finding the back of the net as he showed with that goal. He has worked hard in the offseason on that. We are proud of the work he’s done to get in this position.”

The Wolves beat the Titans 1-0 in the first contest of the season last year, making Saturday’s win a confidence booster for TCA. Galvin says the team is gelling well, and with several returners and new talent, will be solid all the way down the field.

The Titans next play Roosevelt at home Tuesday. In their last meeting, TCA toppled the Roughriders 7-0. But early in the season the Titans aren’t worrying too much about the other team, just on themselves.

“Going into the first game we think we are pretty good but you don’t actually know until you are playing,” Galvin said. “This should give us the right kind of confidence to put in the work we need to move forward and get better. We just need to go in and be our best selves.”