Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Since a heartbreaking double overtime loss to Johnston in the 4A title game last season the focus for West High has been returning to the championship game and reversing the outcome.

The Trojans took a significant step toward that goal on Wednesday.

Now all that stands in the way of a second consecutive title game appearance is the team that kept the Trojans from a title last season.

Fourth-ranked West High built an early 2-0 lead and added a pair of second-half goals on its way to a 4-2 win over fifth-ranked West Des Moines Valley (18-5) in a 4A quarterfinal on Wednesday at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.

Up next a title game rematch with top-ranked Johnston (18-2) on Friday at Mediacom Stadium at 4 p.m.

“We are motivated,” West High senior Daniel Fuentes said. “We want to go back to where we were at and win that game this year.”

Fuentes and senior Kaleab Wendy each scored in the opening five minutes on Wednesday as West High (20-2) returned to the state semifinals for the sixth time in the past four seasons.

The Trojans will bring a five-match winning streak into Friday’s semifinal matchup with Johnston which defeated West High 1-0 in a regular season match on May 11 in Johnston.

“Everybody has been thinking about last year,” Wendy said. “I think that was our fire to win this game. Everybody wants to win the whole tournament.”

West High defeated West Des Moines Valley 2-0 in the season opener for both teams on March 29 at Barker Field in Iowa City.

It took less than six minutes for the Trojans to equal that scoring total in the rematch on Wednesday.

Fuentes scored on a penalty kick after a foul in the box to start the scoring less than 90 seconds into the match.

“I think a lot of it is game planning by (coach Brad) Stiles,” Fuentes said. “He set us up really well to succeed,” Fuentes said. “We had a good warmup and were ready to score first and win.”

Wendy made it 2-0 West High when he took a long pass, went around a defender in the box and slipped in a shot with 35:22 remaining.

“When we scored the second one we knew we weren’t done because last year’s state final we were up 2-0 and we lost the game,” Wendy said. “This time we had that in our mind to keep going.”

West Des Moines Valley answered quickly on a goal by sophomore Eric Foust with 32:03 left in the opening half.

The Tigers had several chances to pull even before the half but West High took a 2-1 lead into intermission.

“I think the first goal was good and it’s always good to score a goal but you could almost see guys shut down after the second goal and go through the motions some,” Stiles said. “You knew it was coming.”

West High reset at the break and controlled the second half.

Wendy made it a 3-1 West High lead with his second goal of the match and 16^th of the season with 21:19 to play.

“I think on the field decision making really went through Kaleab in that second half,” Stiles said. “He was the difference maker, he’s able to settle the game and get some other guys to settle some passes so good job by him.”

Tiago Gonzalez added a goal to make it 4-1 West High with 13:51 left in the match.

West Des Moines Valley, which had a 16-match winning streak snapped with the loss, got a late goal from Britton Morrow on a header off a corner kick with 5:27 left.

“We’ve done a really good job of staying together and playing as team,” Fuentes said. “We keep getting better because we are working hard every day in practice together.

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