Arbor View captured the program's first 5A Southern Region boys soccer championship Saturday, outlasting host Palo Verde in a penalty-kick shootout after the teams played to a 2-2 tie through regulation and two overtime periods. The Aggies prevailed when senior goalkeeper Aaden Flores saved Palo Verde senior Parker Turner's attempt and then converted the decisive kick himself, sparking a team celebration.
The match was a physical, emotional affair that featured five yellow cards and a red card for Arbor View and two yellows and a red for Palo Verde. "It was a dog fight," Aggies coach Robert Starbird said. "We showed some guts the whole tournament. I tell them, you've gotta be willing to suffer. It feels good in the end." Starbird, in his 20th season, praised his players' resilience after a season-long habit of finding ways to win.
Palo Verde struck first on a Turner goal about 12 minutes in, but Arbor View senior forward Desmond Guevara equalized six minutes later. The Panthers went ahead 2-1 in the 17th minute through junior Mateo DeCastroverde, and that lead held until the 15th minute of the second half, when junior Shamire Lewis scored off an assist from senior midfielder Beckham Klein to force overtime.
Neither side could break the deadlock in the extra sessions, sending the final to penalties. Guevara and Palo Verde sophomore O'Brian Vera each converted, and the teams traded three more successful kicks before Flores stopped Turner. Flores said he relied on his experience in shootouts: "I know that's my thing, so I knew how to handle them. I knew I had to get the team out of it. I'm tired, but we got it done."
Both teams advance to the 5A state tournament beginning Friday at Faith Lutheran. Arbor View (14-8-3) enters as the No. 1 seed and will face Sparks, the Northern Region's No. 2 seed, at 5 p.m. Palo Verde (16-5-3) meets Northern champion Hug at 6:45 p.m.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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