DIVISION I BOYS SOCCER: Hernandez scores twice, leads Sundevils to first title
CARSON CITY — As his team celebrated around him in the moments after its state championship win over Palo Verde, Eldorado coach Gerald Pentsil wasn’t quite sure what to say.
He knew just what to do, though, when he was presented his state championship medal, giving it right back to the assistant coach who handed it to him.
Israel Hernandez scored twice to lead the Sundevils to a 2-0 win over Palo Verde in the Division I state championship game, the school’s first state title in boys soccer. It was the team’s first championship game appearance since Pentsil’s fifth season at the school in 1994.
“I’m at a loss for words right now,” Pentsil said. “It’s my first one after 25 years. Words don’t describe it.”
Hernandez was similarly speechless.
“It just feels great,” he said.
Pentsil was upset by the Sundevils’ performance in the second half in Friday’s semifinal against Spanish Springs, but he had no complaints about his team’s effort for 80 minutes Saturday.
“Yes, and a tougher opponent, too,” he said. “We did what we had to do to win.”
Hernandez’s first goal, off an assist by Chris Perez on a corner kick in the 26th minute, came as the teams traded forays.
“He has been doing that all year and I’m just proud of him because sometimes he wanders and I get on his case, then he’ll come through and score the big goal,” Pentsil said.
The Sundevils began to get the edge as the second half became more chippy.
“We’ve never seen them play, but we knew they would be a more physical team, and they knew our style,” Pentsil said. “We like to play finesse.”
Palo Verde played much of the second half a man short after a red card.
“When you’re down a man, and you’re having to sell out to try to score, what do you expect?” Palo Verde coach Kevin Hagood said. “You’re probably going to get beat on counterattacks, and sure enough, the second goal went in.”
Hernandez’s second goal came on a breakaway in the 52nd minute.
“The second goal, it just finished them, I think,” Hernandez, a junior, said. “It’s my first year playing high school, and we won state.”
Palo Verde was making its first trip to the state tournament
“They played their hearts out, and that’s all I ever ask from my kids,” Hagood said. “I thought for the most part, except for a couple plays, we outplayed them. I thought our kids handled the ball real well, we moved the ball around the field, we had good tactics in how we attacked them and I thought the kids played real well, they just couldn’t get a break to go their way.”