Tigers return to state championship game

The Green Forest Tigers will face a longtime nemesis — against whom they’re nursing a very recent grudge — as they seek their fourth state soccer championship this weekend.

The Tigers emerged as the lone Carroll County survivors of last week’s Class 3A and 4A state tournaments. The Berryville and Eureka Springs boys both lost in the opening rounds, while Green Forest lost 1-0 to Central Arkansas Christian in the Class 3A girls semifinals.

In the Class 3A state championship game, set for 2 p.m Saturday, May 18, at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Green Forest will face CAC, a North Little Rock private school.

In 2013, the Tigers defeated the Mustangs to win Green Forest’s first state soccer crown. In the 2021 state semifinals, the Tigers topped CAC again, 4-0, on the way to their second state title. In 2023, the Tigers sent the Mustangs home from the semifinals one more time, 4-1, then won the state championship for a third time.

Emotions will be especially high this weekend, since it was CAC’s girls who halted the Lady Tigers’ quest for Green Forest’s first girls state trophy. The Lady Mustangs squeaked past the Lady Tigers 1-0 Saturday, May 11, at Harrison’s Anstaff Soccer Complex.

It was a very physical, some might even say ugly match, with one Green Forest girl injured enough to stop the game. Both teams played powerful defense — but the Lady Mustangs physically towered head and shoulders over the Lady Tigers. Midway through the first half, CAC’s one-on-one defense finally bested Green Forest’s zone strategy as they scored a single goal. Final score: 1-0 CAC.

That left only the Green Forest boys in the tournament.

Two days before in the opening rounds, the 3A West Conference’s fourthplace Eureka Springs had faced 3A South champs Cossatot River. The Highlanders were missing their starting goalkeeper, who’d been red-carded in their last game and rendered ineligible to play. Despite a goal by forward Fernán Tapia, Eureka Springs lost 5-1.

Berryville also went home Thursday. The Bobcats, 4A West’s fourth-place team, were shut out 4-0 by 4A South champs DeQueen and eliminated from the Class 4A state tournament at Robinson High School in Little Rock.

But on Thursday, both Green Forest teams were dominating the 3A tournament.

In the first three minutes of their opening game, the Lady Tigers scored three goals against Harmony Grove. By the end of the match, senior Kayla Lozano had popped the ball into the net five times and Lisbet Rosales had scored twice, with Shally Ajtun and Yasmin Saucedo getting single goals.

Just before halftime, the state mercy rule was invoked, shortening the game by 20 minutes. Green Forest coach Rodrigo Lopez pulled most of Green Forest’s starters and sent in the entire bench. The Lady Tigers shot on goal 29 times while Harmony Grove didn’t get in a single attempt on Green Forest goalkeeper Hadassah Reyes. Final score: 9-0.

On the boys side, the Tigers startled their first-round opponents, Subiaco Academy, with a goal in the first 34 seconds, then followed minutes later with a second. Subiaco took advantage of a Green Forest defensive mistake — a missed pass back to goalkeeper Abisai Reyes — to score. Having been scored on only four times all season, the goal seemed to motivate the Tigers, who slammed in two more goals. Final score: 5-1.

In Friday’s quarterfinals, the Green Forest boys went first. This time, they scored 27 seconds into the game, then again four minutes later. Their opponent, Searcy’s Riverview, had been ranked the No. 2 team in Class 3A – and was considered possibly Green Forest’s main obstacle to a fourth state championship.

A third goal went in 15 minutes later, then a fourth and a fifth just before halftime. Riverview wilted under the onslaught and again the Arkansas mercy rule was invoked.

Green Forest Coach Adam Richter rotated in the entire bench – and they seemingly scored at will. Getting in two goals each were Boris Tobar, Milton Ortiz and Diego Martinez. Scoring single goals were Jafet Fuentes, Htee Shee Moo, Jadon Ochoa, Josue Guzman and Eh Bar Soe. The final score was 11-0.

The Lady Tigers opened their quarterfinal match against Little Rock’s Baptist Prep with a goal at the 82-second mark. The Lady Eagles slipped in a goal minutes later, but Green Forest got it back – again and again. Kayla Lozano and Yasmin Saucedo each got in a “hat trick” – three goals. Stephanie Lopez scored one. With 11 minutes remaining in the game, Baptist Prep scored once more, but it wasn’t enough. The final score: Green Forest 7-2.

And so, both the Green Forest boys and girls were in the semifinals.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lady Tigers battled valiantly holding CAC 0-0 until well into the second half. The Green Forest girls were relentless until the final seconds, but never got the ball in the net.

It was a grim team of Green Forest boys watching the Lady Tigers’ loss. With their heartbroken classmates heavy on their minds, they took the field and scored within four minutes against Cossatot River, the 3A South boys champs.

On a penalty kick, the Tigers scored again, then after a mad scramble in front of the Eagles’ goal, after three strong shots on goal, a high lob soared over the Cossatot River goalkeeper’s head and into the net.

It was a Tiger-dominated game that they almost let slip away. With 14 minutes left, the Eagles fired in a stunning goal, then moments later, a second. But at the final buzzer, the score was 3-2 Green Forest.

Can the Tigers win a fourth state title? They’ve beaten Central Arkansas Christian repeatedly in the late rounds of the state tournament. And they have the Lady Tigers’ loss on their minds.