Mediaboss Marketing

No matter the game, no matter the opponent, no matter the score, the Conway boys soccer team is going to stick to what's worked.

The two-time defending champion Wampus Cats spent more than half of Friday's quarterfinals matchup waiting for their unique game plan to pay off.

By the time the final whistle blew, as it had 16 times earlier this season, Conway used that plan to win 3-2 in overtime over Bentonville in the Class 6A boys soccer state tournament at Little Rock Southwest High School.

"That's been us since I got here 11 years ago," Conway Coach Matthew Page said. "It's not conventional, it's not pretty, and everybody probably hates me because of it. But at the end of the day, we win games."

After a scoreless first half, Bentonville (9-8-1) took a lead two minutes into the second half when junior Niko Martinovic rounded the goalkeeper and scored.

Six minutes later, senior Andrei Paley, scored to make it 2-0.

Throughout the game, Conway (17-1-2) utilized its game plan to create dead-ball opportunities. Whether was with free kicks, corner kicks or looping throw-ins.

"We pride ourselves on those," Page said. "Of course, we would love to out-possession every time we play, but sometimes that's not real. So, we got to find other ways to put the ball in the back of the net."

In the 50th minute, Conway's Tripp Strange cut the lead in half with a goal, and in the 69th minute, Sawyer Fredrich tied it with a 25-yard strike over the goalkeeper's head.

With the game headed toward overtime, the Wampus Cats tried to find the finishing touch on one of those long throw-ins that had caused the Tigers headaches. In the 87th minute, one finally hit home as Lincoln Parker found the ball in a scramble to score and make it 3-2.

"This team is a very veteran team," Page said. "We have 15 seniors and all of them play minutes. That's kind of what a veteran team does in high school: They step up, they rose to the challenge."

Friday's win advances Conway to Saturday's state semifinals to face Bryant and one game closer to that all-important three-peat.

The Wampus Cats' senior class has lost five games over the past three seasons. They were freshmen the last time Conway didn't win the state title in 2021, when it fell in the final.

So Page preaches daily about what those teams did to win and with each consecutive title, the challenge becomes that much greater.

"It takes a little bit of luck but a lot of skill, and you don't get luck without practicing and doing the little things right, and that's what we preach every day," Page said. "You got to create your own luck, and these guys do that."

Rogers Heritage 3, Springdale 1

Springdale dominated play to open the game, pinning Rogers Heritage inside its half for most of the first 20 minutes.

In the 27th minute, the War Eagles (11-8-1) took a 1-0 lead when Elian Hinojosa scored from the top of the box.

Heritage scored from a corner kick in the 44th minute, but Springdale (13-1-5) got one back in the 47th minute to cut the lead to 2-1.

Heritage striker Carter Ligi took advantage of a misplayed touch from a Springdale defender and carried the ball 40 yards to score and go ahead 3-1.

Little Rock Catholic 4, Fayetteville 1

Little Rock Catholic went ahead in the first half to a long-range strike from Danny Nava to take a 1-0 lead.

Fayetteville (9-6) tied it in the 55th minute after a deflected cross was passed to Diego Gonzales, who made it 1-1.

Catholic (13-4-3) answered with a second-half hat trick by Tripp Ortega with goals in the 57th, 68th and 74th minutes.

Bryant 2, Rogers 1 (2OT)

In the 23rd minute, Bryant's Geovanny Luna scored from long range to give the Hornets (13-1-7) a 1-0 lead.

In the 51st minute, Chriss Salinas shot from 20 yards to tie it for the Mounties (11-8).

Both teams traded half-chances throughout the rest of the second half and first overtime period, but neither could find the back of the net.

In the 93rd minute, Bryant's Edwin Ibarra shot the game-winner from outside the box and past the keeper.

The rest is here:
Conway sticks to plan in victory | Arkansas Democrat Gazette - Arkansas Online