The Van Buren Pointers have had to adjust to being the hunted this season after winning the state soccer championship last year.
The biggest challenge has been from Russellville, a fellow 5A-West foe as well as the team the Pointers defeated in the championship game last year, 2-1.
"We had a huge target on our back," senior Kylan Almond said. "I have some relatives in Russellville and they sent newspapers down how they had to beat Van Buren. It's been a challenge."
The Pointers also welcomed the new challenge as defending state champions.
"They're a really good team to play against," said Almond, who signed last week to continue his collegiate career at Crowder College. "It's fun to play against them. It's good to go back and forth with their team. It's always a fun environment to play them."
Van Buren and Russellville will meet again for this year's state championship at 10 a.m. today at the Benton Athletic Complex.
Russellville handed Van Buren a 2-1 defeat at Blakemore Field in April in conference play, and then the two teams played to a 3-3 draw in the final regular-season match of the season.
"I don't know that we have to do a lot differently," Van Buren Coach Nathan Almond said. "We're going to play well. They have a lot of speed on the outside that can give us trouble. We have to be disciplined on defense and make sure our switches are clean and that we're communicating well. If we can defend well and defend with discipline. We're good enough to score goals."
The Pointers had a huge sigh of relief last week when senior goal-scorer Pedro Rodriguez was released from a knee injury suffered at Mountain Home on April 22.
"That was a little scary for us," Coach Almond said. "We had a knee injury, and we didn't have him for five games. We went 3-1-1 during that stretch so that speaks to the character of the team and the quality of the team. We played well without him, but it's sure nice to have him back."
Rodriguez has scored 42 goals, breaking the previous school record of 40 by Isaac Delafuente in 2019, and is also tied for fourth in state history for a single season.
"He's a special talent," coach Almond said. "He's very, very special with the ball at his feet, very creative. He moves well without the ball."
Rodriguez scored 32 goals last year and was the Most Valuable Player of the championship win over Russellville.
For a moment, though, Rodriguez thought his season, and career, might be over after the injury.
"I thought it was bad, especially when I tried to get back up and couldn't," Rodriguez. "That's all I could think of."
After the MRI, Rodriguez was cleared to play and plays like it never happened now.
"It was nice to hear that," Rodriguez said. "All I could think of was am I going to miss the rest of my senior year. When the news came in that I was going to get to play in the state tournament, I was extremely happy."
Rodriguez then went out and scored all three goals in a 3-1 win over Benton in the first round.
Rodriguez, who moved before his sophomore season to Van Buren because nearby Sallisaw, Okla., didn't offer the sport, now is prepared to repeat as state champions the day after graduation ceremonies.
"We've playing great these past few games," Rodriguez said. "We just have to keep that up, move the ball well and communicate."
-- Leland Barclay
GIRLS SOCCER
BENTONVILLE WEST
Second time around should help
Bentonville West Coach Kerry Castillo said his team might have been awestruck with the school's first trip to the Class 6A state soccer championship, and that played a role in the Lady Wolverines' 3-0 loss to Fayetteville.
That shouldn't be the case today as West returns to Benton for another title showdown today with Fayetteville.
"It's a huge advantage," Castillo said. "Last year, it was so new to them, and the brevity of the game was a little overwhelming. The ones that were there last year -- and many of them return -- now they are more ready for that.
We're starting a few freshmen, but they're versed in this game. They've played in big games and in club, so it doesn't have the same feel as it did last year. It was really tense and pressurized. Now they are just trying to enjoy the moment more, honestly. If the mental side is taken care of, then the soccer side should take care of itself."
Today's matchup also marks the third meeting between the 6A-West Conference rivals. Bentonville West (16-6), which entered the Class 6A State Tournament as the 6A-West's second seed, opened conference play with a 2-0 victory at Centerton.
Fayetteville (12-2-2) returned to favor with a 1-0 victory at Harmon Field and was the third seed from the 6A-West entering the state tournament.
"They're going to play how they play, and we're going to play how we play," Castillo said. "Both teams will try to impose their style of play on the other team."
-- Henry Apple