After Lake Central lost the ball, Jake Noldin tracked back 40 yards to regain possession.

The sophomore forward had made similar plays throughout the course of the season. But this one was different.

It came in Lake Central’s first postseason game, against Highland in the Class 3A Munster Sectional. And coach Jereme Rainwater and his assistants noticed.

“It was just one ball, one opportunity, but it was a big moment — a tournament-changer,” Rainwater said. “Everyone around him (Noldin) fed off the energy he provided. He’s the kind of kid you don’t have to tell to sacrifice for the team. He’s the type of player who leads by example or dictates by defending from the front. That’s the type of player who’s irreplaceable.

“He put a stake in the ground and told his teammates, ‘Hey, we’re not losing. It’s not going to turn out like last year.’ ”

Indeed, Lake Central (11-5-3) reclaimed a sectional title after ceding it last season to end a run of 15 straight. The Indians proceeded to win their first regional championship since 2015.

And now Lake Central is pursuing its first semistate title since 2010, when it won the state championship in the final season of the single-class tournament. The Indians play Saturday at Kokomo against Noblesville (16-2-2), which ended the regular season ranked No. 8 in the state coaches poll.

“It’s exciting to know we’re one of four teams left,” Noldin said. “We have a shot at doing something that isn’t done very often.”

Noldin is among the reasons Lake Central stands in that position. Mild-mannered off the field, he has an edge on it.

“He has a different gear,” Rainwater said. “He has something about him we haven’t seen in a long time, maybe going back to the early 2000s. He’s a man possessed at times — that’s the best way to describe him.”

That approach includes practices.

“The coaches look at me sometimes and are, like, ‘Are we going to have 11 guys if Jake goes through this training session like this?’ ” Rainwater said. “We have to calm him down. He doesn’t know how to turn it off. That’s good and bad sometimes, but he’s the kind of kid you want wearing your jersey.

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great teammate. He’s just a competitor, and he wants to win whether it’s checkers, who picks up the most cones at the end of practice, whatever. That’s just who he is. The guys realize it, and ultimately it makes people around him better.”

Noldin has made an impact since he was a freshman, splitting time between varsity and JV last season. With his club involvement, Rainwater coaches players from the time they’re 3, 4 or 5 years old. But Noldin was the rare player who Rainwater had “zero idea” was coming to Lake Central before arriving.

“Moments after he walked on the field, we realized he fit at that level,” Rainwater said. “We were able to plug him right in with that class. It took but a minute to say, ‘That’s a fun one to find.’ ”

Noldin has seven goals and six assists this season. Among those goals, he hit a beautiful 30-yard strike in the sectional final against Morton, underscoring the skill he possesses along with his tenacity.

Noldin embraces being a complete forward, not only generating offense but also defending.

“When I have the ball and lose it, I get some way — I don’t know how to describe it,” he said. “I just want to get it back. I feel like I owe it to the team.”