Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CEDAR RAPIDS – The biggest goal of the season to date for West High looked like something teammates would playfully attempt before practice.  

Gada Ambo’s flick to Micah Frisbie for the game-winning goal in a 2-1 double overtime win over previously unbeaten Cedar Rapids Prairie was the type of play usually limited to the practice field.  

Perhaps the most impressive element surrounding the incredible game-winner from Frisbie is that it wasn’t an accident.

“We’ve practiced that, (coach) Brad (Stiles) always tells us to look for the flick and one touch just like that,” Frisbie said. “I knew he would be able to do that and that I had to put it away.”

That practice paid off in a big way on Monday in the form of an improbable golden goal that ranked Prairie from the ranks of the unbeaten.

A leaping Frisbie booted a high-arching Ambo pass out of midair and into the lower right corner of the goal for the game-winner five minutes into the second overtime as Class 3A eighth-ranked West High downed fourth-ranked Prairie in the first meeting between the two teams since last year’s 3A state quarterfinals.

“We covered it so it was maybe fresh in their mind and I think Micah made it look pretty easy,” Stiles said. “He had time to take some steps and compose himself and it ended good for us.”

Two of the top teams in the state were evenly matched for most of the night.

Prairie struck first when Matt Walter knocked in a long ball from Boston Riley in the 30th minute.

West High responded just over a minute later when Ambo lifted a shot from the right side over the outstretched hands of Prairie goalkeeper Chase Harrison.

“It was a cross,” Ambo said. “I was just trying to work it in hard and I got lucky and it went in so I will take it.”

It stayed 1-1 for nearly 55 minutes.
Prairie had several opportunities to take a lead but West High fought off numerous corner kicks in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

Operating with the wind at its back Prairie continued its offensive push in the first overtime but came up empty on three corner kicks.

“I didn’t watch a single defending corner tonight,” Stiles said. “I was so deathly afraid of what was going to happen it was either going to go in or not. The guys did their jobs.”

West High finally got its chance in the second overtime and Ambo and Frisbie seized the opportunity.

Ambo controlled a pass and in one motion flicked a high ball forward toward Frisbie who was running free.

“I saw him running and we try to flick it on, that’s part of our plan because they always follow you and check you,” Ambo said. “I saw him and I just had to execute it and it worked out.”
Frisbie was on the left side of the field outside the box when the pass from Ambo came his direction.

Rather than settle the ball to attempt a shot the sophomore rocketed a shot out of the air past Harrison and into the lower right corner for the golden goal.

“I saw the ball going to Gada and I knew he would be able to flick it on,” Frisbie said. “All week Brad (Stiles) has been talking about following shots, doing the extra running and I knew I had to do it there and I knew I had to put it away.”

The loss dropped Cedar Rapids Prairie to 7-1 on the season while West High improved to 8-3.

It was just the second loss for the Hawks over the past two seasons, the last loss a penalty kick shootout setback to West High in the 3A quarterfinals.

Prairie won the regular season meeting between the two teams last year 4-2 at Barker Field in Iowa City. 

“These guys are by far the toughest team,” Stile said. “They challenge every pass, they challenge every header, every time they get near the goal you think something is going to go wrong and they cause a lot of problems and it’s not by accident. Their effort level is serious.”

Winners of three in a row following a 2-1 loss to City High earlier this month the Trojans will hit the road to face Waterloo East on Friday before a date with No. 12 Ames on Saturday.   

“This gives us momentum and we have some other big games coming up so this will definitely boost our confidence,” Ambo said. “This was an important game for our confidence.”