BENTON -- All those hours had finally paid off.
Matthew Page has preached the importance of set pieces since taking over the Conway boys soccer program.
In the Class 6A state championship game Saturday at the Benton Athletic Complex, those instructions came to fruition as Conway (15-1-3) take a 3-1 victory over Fort Smith Northside (12-5-2).
Conway was in search of its first boys state title since 2008 and didn't have to wait long to get a lead. In the third minute, the Wampus Cats' leading scorer, Will Childers, found himself free at the backside of the goal, tapping home a corner kick to give Conway a 1-0 lead.
In the 46th minute, Childers would double his and Conway's tally, finishing off a long throw-in that bounced across Northside's penalty box.
"He's one of those kids that thinks he has a shot every time down the field to score the ball," Page said. "He's shown that this year. I think he's the best goalscorer in the whole state."
The Conway game plan for defending Northside was clear -- don't let Cesar Perez score. Perez scored two goals and assisted one in Northside's two previous games in the state tournament. Aside from a 29th-minute chance, saved by Conway goalkeeper Jackson Tucker, the plan worked to perfection.
Northside and Coach Mauricio Maciel would get one goal back in the 60th minute, thanks to Michael Trinidad's 35-yard strike. The goal caused a long discussion between Page and the referees, but it ultimately stood.
With a little over five minutes remaining, Conway's Ty Fisher set up for his longest set piece of the day -- the exact kind that Page had been preparing him for. From 57 yards, Fisher lofted the ball up and over the Northside goalkeeper, all but sealing the Conway win.
"That's us," Page said. "That's what we've always been a part of. It's something not a lot of other teams take a lot of practice time to do. The kids all bought in. You can have any system you want but if you don't have kids that will buy in it's for naught."
The Wampus Cats lost in last season's 6A state final and the memory of the loss hadn't left the minds of those still at Conway.
"It feels a lot better after last year," Childers said. "I couldn't feel that way again. I had to come out here and get revenge for my seniors last year."