Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Leading the charge

Hernandez fuels Mounties’ postseason run.

- CHIP SOUZA

ROGERS — Droplets rolled down Willie Hernandez’s face after he was doused in a victory celebratio­n.

It was water from a drink bottle and not champagne, but the taste was just as sweet for the Rogers High senior.

As his teammates basked in the glory of Saturday’s 1-0 win against Little Rock Catholic in the Class 7A state boys soccer tournament, Hernandez reflected on a season that at one time looked bleak, but has spun completely around at the end.

“I have been praying for this day and hoping so much for this moment,” he said, wiping away moisture that was an equal mix of water, sweat and maybe a few joyful tears.

Rogers (14-10-1) is headed back to the state championsh­ip match to defend its title. A historic season last year ended with the Mounties winning the first boys’ soccer title in school history. This season will also be historic as the team is the first to go to back- to- back championsh­ip matches.

The Mounties will take on Fort Smith Northside at noon Friday at Razorback Field. Northside advanced to the final after knocking off Springdale High 2-1 last week in the other 7A state semifinal.

For a team that lost 10 matches, including back-toback losses to end the regular season, this championsh­ip run has been a big surprise.

“We lost a lot of seniors last year and we have a new team,” Hernandez said. “A lot of people were saying we were not going to be on top. So we just had to prove them wrong. And now we’re the only team from the 7A-West to make it to the finals.

“We’ve worked really, really hard for this.”

Rogers coach Stephen Peck has used Hernandez (6-foot3, 180 pounds) in a variety of roles this season. Although he is primarily a defender, Hernandez often moves up to the attacking end to provide another scoring weapon for the Mounties.

In the semifinal win, his penalty kick less than two minutes into the match was the only goal scored. With Hernandez providing a strong defensive presence, Catholic could not penetrate the back line for most of the match.

“I’ve said all along we have a good defense,” Peck said. “We just had to put it all together and the guys were able to do that.”

When a Rogers player was taken down in the box and the Mounties were awarded a penalty kick, Peck did not hesitate in calling up Hernandez to take the kick. Hernandez delivered, sending a bullet into the lower left corner of the goal for the only score of the match.

Coaches in the 7A-West recently selected Hernandez as the Defensive Player of the Year, an honor Peck said was very deserving.

“He does so much for our team,” Peck said. “He goes sideline-to-sideline. He makes runs up into the offense, then comes back. He’s an important part of our corner kicks and free kicks, whether he’s kicking it or getting it back.”

Hernandez said the Mounties began to turn the corner on their season when they knocked off nationally ranked Springdale High back in April. That win bolstered the team’s energy and showed them they could stand toe-to-toe with the best teams in the state, he said.

“A lot of people said we did not have a chance to beat Springdale, but we did,” he said. “It gave us a lot of confidence. Our pressure, our communicat­ion, our ball movement was a lot better after that. We lost to Har-Ber after that, but we were still able to keep our momentum.”

Hernandez is also a member of the Mounties’ football team as a kicker. He is considerin­g playing college soccer, possibly at Neosho ( Kan.) Community College next fall, where former Springdale High standout Nelson Landaverde is on the coaching staff. Hernandez said he will make that decision later this summer.

Before then, he and the Mounties have one more match to prove the doubters wrong again.

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 ?? NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE ?? Rogers senior Willie Hernandez ( right) does a backflip April 10 after scoring a goal against Springdale High at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium in Springdale. Hernandez and the Mounties will defend their 7A state soccer title at noon Friday against...
NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE Rogers senior Willie Hernandez ( right) does a backflip April 10 after scoring a goal against Springdale High at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium in Springdale. Hernandez and the Mounties will defend their 7A state soccer title at noon Friday against...

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