Dardanelle wins second straight 4A boys soccer title

FAYETTEVILLE -- Dardanelle used a second-half adjustment to help turn the Class 4A state boys soccer final into a rout Saturday afternoon at Razorback Field.

The Sand Lizards (20-3-2) scored four times in the final 40 minutes en route to a 6-1 win over Warren to claim their second consecutive state title.

Junior midfielder David Rodriguez, who was named tournament Most Valuable Player, scored Dardanelle's first two goals to lead his team to a 2-1 halftime advantage. But the Sand Lizards held Warren (20-4-1) scoreless in the second half and scored three times in a five-minute span to take control.

Dardanelle coach Bryan Hardaway credited co-head coach Don Earnest with the halftime adjustment the proved key to his team winning its second consecutive state title going away.

"We tried tighten our wings up towards the middle to try to keep them from playing the long ball," Earnest said. "They were playing for the counter attack and we were trying to make them have to possess it."

Warren goalkeeper Brandon Resendiz made a pair of saves in the first five minutes of the second half, and the junior stopped another Dardanelle shot, but couldn't corral the ball. Instead, it rolled in front of the goal, where freshman Jastin Hernandez tapped it in for a 3-1 lead with 33 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second half.

That started the avalanche as senior Luis Villegas got free on a breakaway and scored three minutes later. Teammate Jose Perez added another goal less than two minutes later to put Dardanelle in control 5-1 with 29:17 left. Dardanelle added another goal with 2:22 left to set the final score.

Dardanelle's sophomore goalkeeper Jacinto Diaz had just three saves in the second half as the Sand Lizards back line didn't give the Lumberjacks many chances.

Warren scored its lone goal with less than five minutes left in the first half when Diaz deflected a shot but couldn't control it. Warren's Saloman Garay was right there to tap it in to pull his team within 2-1. But that would be all the Lumberjacks would manage.

Returning to the finals was a goal from the start of the seaso with eight starters returning from last year's state championship team, Hardaway said.

"This was the goal the whole time," Hardaway said. "We thought we could definitely get back here. They said if we're not here we're gonna be disappointed. That's a good direction for your program to go in."

Sports on 05/21/2017

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