Big-time players make big-time shots to win big-time games. That’s what happened to Palm Beach Central High School’s Luis Dominguez when he stepped up to take a penalty kick in his team’s Class 7A regional boys soccer final when Palm Beach Central hosted Lake Nona High School on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
The game was scoreless for the first 78 minutes of the match. It looked quite likely that Palm Beach Central and Lake Nona were headed for 20 minutes of extra time. Then the center referee blew his whistle and the game stopped. The Broncos were awarded a penalty kick because of a “grab and release” call against the visiting Lions.
Dominquez stepped forward, picked up the soccer ball and placed it on the spot, 12 yards in front of the goal.
After waiting for the referee to blow his whistle, Dominguez took a few steps, struck the ball with his right foot and then watched it barely elude the grasp of Lake Nona goalkeeper Raul Hernandez, who dove to his right but was unable to stop the ball from crossing the goal line and tickling the back of the net.
It was the eighth time that Dominguez had made a penalty kick for his team this season, but there was something different about this penalty kick.
“I take all the team’s penalty kicks, and I always kick to the right, but tonight, at the last minute, I decided to kick the ball to the left,” Dominguez said. “I don’t know why I went left. I’m glad it went in the net.”
Palm Beach Central coach Tom Dawkins didn’t watch the penalty kick. But he never does. He just looks the other way and waits for the roar of the crowd. Dawkins heard the roar and knew that his squad had taken the lead, just moments before the end of regulation play.
In the waning moments of the game, Lake Nona did have a direct free kick just outside Palm Beach Central’s penalty area, but the attempt to tie the game was unsuccessful. Seconds later, the game was over.
With that final whistle, the Palm Beach Central team had just recorded a historic win, clinching the first regional championship in school history for boys soccer.
“You’re headed to the final four,” screamed Dawkins to the team after the game. His players responded with an even bigger roar of approval.
Even though Palm Beach Central had the home-field advantage, the Broncos had their proverbial hands full with the visitors from Orlando.
Dawkins said it was a tough night to play soccer because of Lake Nona’s height and the swirling winds.
“Their height gave us problems, and the wind made it difficult to control the ball,” Dawkins said. “We like to play the ball on the ground.”
Besides the penalty kick, the best goal scoring opportunity of the game took place in the 58th minute.
Lake Nona’s Carlos Rojas had a point-blank shot at the goal from 15 yards, but his soundly struck kick was caught by Palm Beach Central’s goalkeeper Sheamus Semco.
Dawkins was not surprised at Semco’s save.
“Sheamus is our captain and the heart and soul of the team,” Dawkins said.
That win capped a great stretch of post-season success for Palm Beach Central, which also won its district tournament on Feb. 3 with a 3-2 win over local rival Wellington High School.
Palm Beach Central’s regional championship win against Lake Nona was by the narrowest of margins, 1-0. So were its two prior regional victories — a quarterfinal triumph over Spanish River High School on Feb. 9 and a semifinal win at Boca Raton High School on Feb. 12 — all by identical 1-0 scores.
With that regional championship win, the Broncos advanced to a state final four showdown on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 19 against the Cypress Bay High School Lightning. The game was played in Weston on the Lightning’s home field. Unfortunately, Palm Beach Central came away with a 3-0 loss.
The Broncos finished the year with an impressive 14-2-1 record.
“We had a couple of nice looks at goal early in the match at Cypress Bay, but their goalkeeper made some great saves,” Dawkins said.
Looking back, there’s no high school soccer coach who is more proud of his team than Dawkins is of his Broncos.
“My team never quit playing all season long,” he said. “My kids worked hard, and they never gave up. After graduating so many seniors last year, nobody thought we would reach the state semifinals. The intestinal fortitude of my kids is amazing.”
Had Palm Beach Central defeated Cypress Bay, they would have played in the FHSAA’s Class 7A state championship at Spec Martin Stadium in Deland next week. As they say in sports, there’s always next year. And the returning members of the Bronco boys soccer team will be ready.
