CONWAY -- With only the goalkeeper standing in his way, De Queen's Estiven Garcia was confident about his game winner.
Garcia's breakaway goal with 2:12 remaining allowed the West to take a 2-1 victory over the East in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star boys soccer game Wednesday night at Estes Stadium.
The victory gave the West back-to-back All-Star victories, but the East leads the series 6-5.
James Pollard of Siloam Springs -- a John Brown signee -- played for the East squad after a four-year varsity career for the Panthers that included a state championship in 2012 and runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2015.
Garcia's goal came 23 minutes after the East had tied the game at 1-1. He beat one defender 35 yards away from the net, raced down the left side and beat East goalkeeper Jack Whisker of Cabot with the shot from approximately 15 yards out.
"I was pretty sure I was going score," said Garcia, who scored 36 goals for the Leopards during the regular season and was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player. "I had a good look."
Even with a 7:15 p.m. start, the game was marred by a wave of oppressive heat. Temperature at kickoff was 95 degrees on the purple-and-gray turf field, but by the end of the contest the temperature had fallen to 82.
"It really wasn't that bad tonight," Vilonia's Mateo Johnson said. "It was the practices that were tough."
The first two goals came from players from Faulkner County.
Johnson put the West in front 1-0 at the 28:43 mark of the first half. The score remained that way until the 25:35 mark of the second half when Conway's Carlos Beltran scored off a corner kick for the East.
The East took more shots (14-10) and had more corner kicks (8-3) than the West, but they had trouble converting against West goalkeepers Alex Braxton of Hot Springs Lakeside and Austin Dow of Benton.
Johnson's goal came from 22 yards out 12 minutes into the game.
"I really didn't expect to score at that point, but I got it by the goalie, " Johnson said. "It happened so fast I don't really remember that much about it."
Beltran's goal came off a rebound on the corner kick. He headed the ball past Dow, who had made a save on the original attempt.
"It just bounced around in front of me and I had a chance to put it in," said Beltran, who was named the East's most outstanding player.
Dow was selected as the West's most outstanding player.
Sports on 06/28/2015