FAYETTEVILLE — Shortly after leading his team to victory, John Lung’aho was getting measured for his MVP ring when East Coach Jason Hay walked up and half-jokingly asked Lung’aho for an autograph.
After watching Lung’aho dominate the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star boys soccer game, Hay wouldn’t be faulted for his admiration. Lung’aho, of Little Rock Parkview, scored a goal and assisted on another to lead the East to a 3-0 victory Tuesday night at Razorback Field.
Lung’aho lived up to his pregame billing as the state’s player of the year. After a scoreless first half in which both teams felt out each other, the North Carolina State recruit seized command of the field in the second half.
In the 48th minute, Lung’aho took the ball toward the net and feathered a perfect cross to Jacob Sparks of Russellville. Sparks fired the ball past Harrison goalkeeper Randy May into the left edge of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Lung’aho’s goal came next. Lung’aho charged through the West defense and then fired a shot into the far edge of the net at a difficult angle for a 2-0 lead with 20:52 left in the game.
“I’ve never coached a kid who made a goal like that,” Hay said. “You can tell he’s a step above most players.”
Lung’aho told Hay during the game to make sure other forwards got playing time, even at the expense of his onfield action, and was equally modest after his MVP performance. Lung’aho said he and his teammates were nervous in the first half, mostly from unfamiliarity with each other, but they settled in during the second half.
“There was a little pressure, but what calmed me down was playing with my teammates,”Lung’aho said. “If I played selfishly, we wouldn’t have won the game.”
Lung’aho said he was surprised on his goal that the defense didn’t tackle him as he approached the net. He said the East’s third goal was the best goal of the night, when Conway’s Luis Beltran blasted a shot from just outside the goal box as several defenders converged on the ball.
The West had several quality possessions in the first half but couldn’t convert any into a goal. In the second half, the West’s chemistry wasn’t there and the East took over.
“The first half we did pretty well,” said West Coach Steve Peck of Rogers. “We kept making little mistakes that compounded.”
Hay said the teams had just two practices together after reporting Sunday. There is no way to develop on-field chemistry in such a short practice window, regardless of the level of talent.
“We’ve got the best players in the state, and it’s hard to get cohesion until you get out there,” Hay said. “We just started to jell a little bit.”
Sparks was named the East’s outstanding player, while Nate Gay of Little Rock Christian was named the West’s outstanding player.
Sports, Pages 22 on 06/23/2010