At halftime of the District 6-A/AA championship game, the Chattanooga Christian boys’ soccer players were challenged to look for their heart.

A pair of freshmen helped them find it.

The Chargers trailed by two goals at the start of the second period against Notre Dame, but they tied the game on a goal from freshman Adam Ryan and earned a 3-2 victory after classmate Rocklin Shumaker scored eight minutes into overtime.

“Our two freshmen came through,” CCS coach Shawn Brower said. “Those two guys have exceeded my expectations all year. I really don’t look at them as freshmen because of their play and their maturity. I can’t say enough about them.”

Host Notre Dame took a 1-0 lead 17 minutes into the title match when Andy Helms sent a kick from 30 yards out into the upper right corner of the net. The Irish caught the Chargers off guard with a goal from Matt Keaney about two minutes later.

During the break, Brower reminded his players of last year’s state quarterfinal match in which the Chargers rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 win, and a tactical adjustment helped them come out firing for the second period. Ben Sandidge finally connected for CCS in the 53rd minute on a hard shot that went off Notre Dame keeper Caleb Williford’s hands and into the goal.

“Once we made that adjustment, I think it completely changed the flow of the game, and ultimately the outcome,” Brower said. “In the second half, even before we scored, I felt really good. I thought we were doing what we needed to do. I didn’t know if we were going to get the result, but we were putting ourselves in position to get some dangerous scoring opportunities.”

The Chargers continued creating chances, and with less than eight minutes left in regulation, Randall Ausdran headed a long throw-in from Lee Wennerstrom off the post, and Ryan was there to follow.

“Their keeper just got turned around, and their defender got out of the way of it, and I saw an opportunity for an open goal,” Ryan said. “Being a freshman, playing varsity is a huge honor anyway, but when you score a goal against Notre Dame and you have your entire team behind you congratulating you, it’s just an amazing feeling.”

Neither team could finish a chance the rest of the way, and the match advanced to two 10-minute overtimes. With 2:07 left in the first, Ryan sent in a long kick and Shumaker finished it for what proved to be the game-winning goal.

“With Rocklin’s speed, he’s just so dangerous,” Ryan said. “In an instant, it can change the game. He just took off. He’s so composed under pressure, and he just did what he had to do.”

CCS (11-3-3) will host District 5-A/AA runner-up Arts & Sciences in a Region 3 semifinal Tuesday at 7 p.m., while Notre Dame will travel to face 5-A/AA champion Boyd-Buchanan.