FAYETTEVILLE -- Russellville was the more aggressive team for most of the game, but it almost let its chance at another state title slip away.
Landon Jacobs made sure that didn't happen, scoring the game's only goal with 3:35 left in overtime as the Cyclones edged Greenwood 1-0 on Friday night in the Class 6A boys state championship game at Razorback Field.
Jacobs found an opening right at the six-foot box and his shot found the back of the net 1:25 into the first overtime.
"We had a lot opportunities, but I told them before the overtime to keep crashing the goal and it would eventually come," Russellville Coach Jared Fuller said. "I am so excited for how hard these guys worked. You can tell they left it all on the field. Our legs are just dead."
The Cyclones had numerous opportunities to score during regulation but they either missed or were just plain blocked by Greenwood goalkeeper Baylee Moore. Greenwood didn't even get a shot on goal until the 26:00 mark of the second half when it missed on a point-blank header.
Jose Cristostomo, who led Russellville's goal attempts, missed on his best shot when he received the ball near midfield and split five defenders before kicking it right into the hands of Moore with 22:50 left in regulation.
Cristostomo let another scoring opportunity get away with 4:55 left when he missed a wide-open net after Moore was caught out of position.
Greenwood also missed what seemed like a sure goal when the ball sailed high over the net with 51 seconds left, which set the stage for the first extra session.
"I knew if we didn't score quick and put that one in right at the end of regulation it was going to be tough for us to find another chance that golden," Greenwood Coach Andrew Post said. "They just kept coming and coming and coming. They wore us down.
"Hats off to them. Hats off to Coach Fuller. They had a great season, a heck of a run through the playoffs and a heck of a win tonight."
The overtime started pretty much the way the second half ended with a couple more Russellville shots on goal that Moore swatted away. Then, out of nowhere, Short found the opening Russellville needed.
"It was hard not to get discouraged with the number of blocks and saves they had," Fuller said. "Then they get the ball on the other end and they create a couple of opportunities, you start to get nervous and worried. Then we just come back to what we have been doing all year. We work the ball out wide, and work on crossing and finishing."
The Cyclones picked up their second state championship in their fourth title-game appearance in five years. The Bulldogs were appearing in their first state championship match.
"We had a heck of a season, a kind of season you will remember for a long time, but now we are hungry," Post said. "I think this just made us more hungry to be back here again next year and to win it."
Sports on 05/24/2014