Carbonel delivers Cardinals’ winner

CLASS 4A BOYS SOCCER FARMINGTON 4, CLARKSVILLE 3

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

BENTON — After an April 1 win at Harrison, Farmington Coach Josh Fonville saw a happy bunch of Cardinals. Perhaps too happy. So during the ensuing weekend, he sent his team a text: “DON’T BE SATISFIED.”

Fonville had little idea at the time his message would stick. But up 2-0 at halftime Saturday, he reminded Farmington of the three words that had become their mantra this season.

It was a critical directive for the Cardinals.

Mateo Carbonel delivered the game-winning score in the 71st minute, pushing Farmington past Clarksville 4-3 at the Benton Athletic Complex as the Cardinals claimed the Class 4A boys soccer state championship.

Farmington twice surrendered a lead in the second half against a Panthers team it had failed to beat in two earlier matchups this season. But Carbonel — who’d assisted the Cardinals’ first goal with a long throw-in — put Farmington ahead for good with a 25-yard shot that looped over the Clarksville goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Farmington (13-2-3) went up 1-0 in the fifth minute when Drew White tipped Carbonel’s toss across the line, then doubled its advantage as Ettore Bocchi ripped a rebound into the Panthers’ net in the 29th minute.

But Clarksville (20-2-1) provided plenty of danger over the first 40 minutes through midfielders Nixon Galindo and Blay Soe.

The Panthers needed less than six minutes after halftime to tie the score.

Galindo laid a pass off to Soe for Clarksville’s first goal, with Soe slotting a shot just inside the left post. Cody Qualls pulled the Panthers even three minutes later, poking a bouncing ball into the goal from point-blank range.

“We dug ourselves a hole,” Clarksville Coach Bryan Qualls said. “We thought one of the keys to this game was going to be who scored first. … We just made a few mistakes.”

There was nothing the Panthers could do in the 55th minute when Jorge Cervantes put Farmington back up 3-2 on a perfect curling free kick from 29 yards out. Cervantes’ right-footed shot bent toward the top left corner, tipping off the goalie’s fingers before hitting a pair of posts and bouncing down and in.

Yet Cody Qualls wouldn’t let Clarksville go quietly. The senior forward collected a rebound inside the box and fired into the back of the net in the 70th minute, again tying things at 3-3.

For Farmington’s quarterbacks coach, who was asked to take over the soccer team earlier this year, it was undoubtedly a satisfying finish.

“It has just been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as a coach,” Fonville said.