Harding Academy wins title in return
CLASS 3A BOYS HARDING ACADEMY 2, LISA ACADEMY WEST 0
BENTON — Harding Academy could only watch as Green Forest lifted the championship trophy last May.
Shortly after, then-captain Ty Dugger delivered his fellow Wildcats a concise message: “Know how [being runner-up] feels and don’t let it happen again.”
With another shot at the Class 3A boys soccer state title, they ensured Friday’s match ended differently.
Harding Academy scored twice in the final minute of the first half, which was all the offense it needed to defeat LISA Academy West 2-0 at the Benton Athletic Complex.
The victory gave the Wildcats their first boys soccer title since starting the program in 2019. They reached the state semifinals that spring before covid-19 ended their 2020 campaign two games in.
“They’re definitely going to be remembered well,” Harding Academy Coach Caleb Hall said. “I just can’t say enough about the extra time … that our kids put in instead of going on vacation. They want to work and get better, and it shows.”
But it took time for the Wildcats to break the deadlock Friday. Harding Academy (17-0-1) pushed forward, using its physicality up front through Ryan McGaha and Lawson Brooks to trouble the Jaguars.
Hall said he knew it was just a matter of his team finishing one of its many chances, and Sikan Akapanudo did that as the first-half clock ticked down under a minute.
The speedy forward collected a ball on the break, sliding a low shot from the right side of the box past the LISA Academy goalkeeper and into the bottom left corner to go up 1-0.
Thirty seconds later, a Jaguars foul set up Kyle Ferrie from 25-plus yards out on the left side of the field.
The junior captain made LISA Academy (11-1-1) pay dearly.
“I was hitting [earlier free kicks] over the bar, so I knew on that one I had the whole goal,” said Ferrie, who was named tournament MVP. “I just played it right at the keeper, and it curled away from him.”
The Jaguars pushed after halftime, trying to slice the Wildcats’ 2-0 lead and give themselves a shot to pull level.
But the Harding Academy defense that had surrendered four goals all season stayed resolute.
LISA Academy found itself frustrated between several shots that just went over the crossbar and multiple injuries that slowed the pace of play over the final 40 minutes.
Afterward, though, the feeling with which Jags Coach Case French walked off Everett Field was just the opposite.
“It took a lot of hard work, determination and belief in ourselves,” French said. “This is the first time LISA Academy has gotten this far in any sport, so we’re really proud of them.”
Merely getting to Friday wasn’t going to be enough for the Wildcats. Yet they didn’t gloat at the final horn — Ferrie said they wanted to show their foe respect.
Once the trophy was in Harding’s hands? It was a different story.
And the Wildcats don’t expect this celebration to be their last, either.
“I’ve played with these guys since I was young and to see these seniors go away sucks,” Ferrie said. “But the ’Cats are coming back next year hungry again.”