Loss is motivation

A season-ending loss can turn out to be a great motivator. That was the case for the Clarksville boys soccer team last year in the state tournament.

The Panthers, a top seed, were downed in the first round to a very talented No. 4 seed in Nashville, which advanced all the way to the semifinals.

Clarksville didn’t want that to happen again this season. They came back better than ever and now find themselves in the Class 4A state championship game against Farmington. The programs face off Saturday at 10 a.m. in Benton.

“It was a good learning experience for them,” Clarksville coach Bryan Qualls said. “You can’t take anything for granted. If you have a bad game, teams will make you pay. They have really bounced back. This is the best I’ve seen us play. We go back and argue about 2007, our last championship team, and who would win. But position by position, our guys are playing very well.”

It has been a team effort making it back to the final for the first time since 2012. Cody Qualls, Blay Soe, Kaw Htoo, Eric Trevino, Nixon Galindo, Miguel Aguilar and Jose De La Rosa all have had goals in this state tournament run. Goalkeeper Juan De La Rosa and the defense has been a big factor as well. Clarksville has allowed just one goal and has back-to-back shutouts in the tournament.

Bryan Qualls, who is in year 21 at Clarksville, points to the togetherness among the team on and off the field being a huge factor in this year’s success.

“A lot of it has to do with chemistry,” he said. “These guys care and share the ball very well. It seems like guys are at the right place at the right time. They have worked hard.”

Clarksville (20-1-1) is no stranger to Farmington (12-23). The programs tied 1-1 in a regular season meeting and Clarksville pulled away for a 3-0 win earlier this month in the 4A-West conference tournament championship game. Clarksville is unbeaten in its past 17 games. The lone loss the season was to 6A powerhouse Russellville, who made the state final again.