By Dogtown Daily Staff
In a hard-fought 4–3 victory Thursday night, the North Little Rock High School varsity boys soccer team edged out conference rival Jonesboro in what head coach Josh Shipman called a “must-win game” heading into the postseason.
The Charging Wildcats fell behind early but stormed back to take a 2–1 lead before halftime. A last-minute goal by Jonesboro leveled the score going into the break, but Shipman credited his squad’s second-half intensity for sealing the win.
“I feel we just kind of wanted it more,” Shipman said. “We were able to find two goals in that second half to push us through.”
Brazilian exchange student and forward Kalil Faret de Faria was the standout of the night, netting a hat trick with three goals. Midfielder Morris Hazard also made a major impact in his return from injury after missing the previous Jonesboro matchup.
With only two conference games and a senior night match against Hamburg remaining, the team enters the postseason healthy, if a little fatigued. Still, Shipman says morale is high: “In the last six games, we’re five and one. It’s been a really good stretch for us.”