Two teams that know each other quite well met at a neutral venue for the Pinnacle Bank Cup final on Friday night as No. 1 Schuyler proved its prowess once more in a 2-1 win over No. 6 Lexington.
“It was a tough game,” said Ulises Fuentes, Schuyler’s head coach. “It was gonna be a tough game. I knew that since the beginning. I just knew it. But I know I trusted the kids.”
It may have just been the second edition of the cup, but the inaugural competition last spring launched Schuyler toward its first state championship in program history.
A year ago, Schuyler fell to Kearney in the semifinals 3-1 and followed up that loss by stringing together what is now a 24-game win streak over the calendar year. Lexington, on the other hand, beat Grand Island 3-1 in the semifinals before falling to Kearney in a shootout during the championship.
The two Class B squads overcame tough Class A opposition in the semifinals on Thursday night. Lexington was down to Kearney 1-0 at the halftime break before stringing three goals together for the 3-1 win. Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Grand Island broke through first after a scoreless first half, but Schuyler was not to be outdone as the Warriors pushed their way back to a 2-1 victory.
“This year, I think we really wanted it more,” said Schuyler’s David Arciga. “I know we lost a lot of seniors back then last year, and I think this team is really a family. We finished strong.”
On a chill, windy night in Grand Island, Lexington came out fast with a couple of big opportunities in the opening 12 minutes.
While there were not many high-danger opportunities in the first 30 minutes, Schuyler is No. 1 in Class B for a reason. Arciga drew a double team in the 33rd minute and dished the ball off to Omar Genchi on his left, who buried it home for a one-goal lead.
“We love to play together,” Arciga said. “We love to connect passes. When I saw Omar Genchi open, I knew he was gonna make it in. So, I just had to pick up my head and see him open. I knew that was going in.”
From that moment, Schuyler showed control as Arciga had multiple opportunities during the remainder of the first half.
Early in the second half, the game got physical and emotional. There were multiple sequences where players, coaches and fans wanted fouls to be called.
The emotion continued to simmer into the 57th minute when a Lexington foul set up a 33-yard free kick opportunity for Arciga and the Warriors. Arciga capitalized and placed the ball perfectly to double Schuyler’s lead.
“Honestly, I didn’t think that was gonna go in,” Arciga said. “I feel like he was gonna save it. In my head, I was like, ‘I’m just gonna shoot it, whatever happens, happens.’”
As much as the Warriors’ armor seemed impenetrable, Lexington kept the pressure on and earned a penalty kick after a Schuyler handball in its own box. Senior Davis Garcia-Corzo capitalized for the Minutemen to cut the deficit to one with 14 minutes remaining.
Lexington pushed hard over the final minutes, but couldn’t muster any opportunities as it attempted to tie the match with Schuyler.
“We just gotta keep going,” Fuentes said. “There’s no time to stand back or relax. We got to keep training hard and keep that winning streak going.”
Last year was the catalyst for the Warriors in their path to a championship; now this season, Schuyler is still a flaming arrow.
Elijah Moser is a contributor for Nebraska Soccer Talk, currently studying Sports Communication and Journalism at the University of Nebraska – Kearney.