Fuentes’ header does it

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COSTA MESA — The four-man wall was set at the 18-yard-line for Newport Elementary ‘A’. The Wilson Elementary striker was positioned, at the ready, behind the ball for the free kick 28 yards out. The game was tied and with it already in extra time, this was Wilson’s best chance to win the game they had earlier trailed in.

The referee gave the OK and the Wilson striker let it fly.

The free kick did not have enough on it to make it past the Newport wall. However, to Newport’s dismay, the kick had just enough to find Jose Fuentes’ head, standing in front of the wall, who flicked it to the back of the net for the game-winner. The whistle blew moments later and Wilson won the pool-play match of the Daily Pilot Cup, 2-1, in a boys’ fifth- and sixth-grade silver division game.

“For me, this was really exciting,” Wilson Coach Tony Robles said. “It was so close, it had my heart pumping really fast at the end of the game.”

Robles’ team had to come back in the second half after a goal by Newport in the first half. The team’s workhorse, Alain Ward, dribbled the ball down the right side and ripped one at the goal. The ball caromed off the keepers’ hands, right to Alex Davis’ feet, who popped it in the net and put Newport up, 1-0, early.

“I always tell my guys, sometimes it is not about who plays the hardest, but rather who gets the luckiest,” Newport Coach Lanee Junghans said. “And today we were just unlucky. But I am not taking anything away from the other team; they played great.”

Both teams were pushing toward the end of the game to get that last goal and each keeper made some impenetrable saves but it was Fuentes that stole the show.

Ten minutes before heading in the game-winner, Fuentes hit a rocket from 20 yards out to tie the game and put the pressure back on Newport in the second half. Newport, however, was unable to answer the call.

“Honestly, I could not have asked for more out of my guys,” Coach Junghans said. “Their skills are amazing and I think we outplayed them with heart. This is my third year out here. We just love to compete out here.”

Newport beat St. Joachim, 3-2, in Tuesday’s game and will wait to see if it makes it out of the pool play. Wilson faces off against St. Joachim on Friday.