CONWAY -- Sometimes a little luck is needed -- even with the best players available.
In the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star boys soccer game at Estes Stadium on Friday night, the West defeated the East 2-1.
West goalkeeper Fredy Juarez of Green Forest was forced into action within the first minute, making a pair of saves at the edge of his penalty box to keep it level. Juarez would make similar saves throughout the match, taking home MVP honors.
Juarez deservedly took home MVP honors, but he wasn't alone in impressing Fayetteville High and West All-Star Coach Brent Crenshaw.
"It's hard to put something together in two days with guys you don't even know," Crenshaw said. "[We had a] great group of guys. I told them yesterday, that typically when I've done this you have to hide a couple of players here and there, but there were no players to hide on this team. Every one of them was a quality player."
The West got its first goal in the 19th minute when a goal-mouth scramble found Joe T. Robinson's Alex Gabriel on the left side of the goal to tap in the opener and make it 1-0.
Eleven minutes later, All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year Fernando Castro of Russellville doubled the lead. The West had multiple shots near the top of the East's 18-yard box deflected before Castro shot from just inside the left side of the box to make it 2-0.
Neither goal was pretty, but Crenshaw said he didn't care as long as they went in.
"I've been doing this long enough [to know] you need a little luck in this game," Crenshaw said. "And we got a little lucky on those goals. [We knew if] we keep creating chances, good things will go. Sometimes you get lucky on those things, and sometimes you don't. Tonight we were lucky."
The East attempted to mount a comeback for the remainder of the game, creating the majority of attacking opportunities. Harding Academy's Ryan McGaha made it 2-1 in the 37th minute, finishing home a grounded cross from Beebe's Jaffet Rodriguez, who took home outstanding player honors for the East.
The West was able to hold off any further scoring thanks in part to the play of Juarez to secure the win.
"They got after us that second half quite a bit," Crenshaw said. "We kept fighting. Sometimes it's not gonna be pretty, and it wasn't pretty there at the end, but we kept them out of the goal. Our goalkeeper had some good saves so that always helps."
The East’s Leonel Gomez of LISA Academy West (left) and the West’s Vincente Martinez of Danville battle for the ball during the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star boys soccer game Friday at Estes Stadium in Conway. Baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball games were held Friday. Basketball and football games are slated for today. More photos available at arkansasonline.com/625boyssoccer. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)