Days after claiming their first win of the season 2-0 over Scottsdale Prep, the Fountain Hills High School boys soccer team repeated and beat Tempe Prep 4-3 on Tuesday, Jan. 11. The Falcons started the season 0-7-1, but now they are 2-0 in region play.

The Falcons have seven games left to play in the season, and they are all region opponents. This past Monday, Jan. 17, the Falcons hosted Trivium Prep, the 17th ranked team in 3A. The last three games of the Falcons’ season are all against top-15 ranked opponents, Phoenix Country Day, BASIS Phoenix and Veritas Prep.

Acting coach Ryan Griggs said the Falcons have tough competition coming up and called the game with Trivium Prep a “must-win” showdown. The Falcons would have to overcome adversity yet again to win, but that’s something they improved on against Tempe Prep.

“To be honest, it was really sloppy in the first half,” Griggs said. “I think three minutes before the first half ended, we had a PK. I believe Nico [Cini] took it and he missed, so that really took their momentum away. It was 1-1 at that point, and they scored basically with a minute left on the clock.”

Griggs said his team had to adjust at the half if they were going to crawl out of a 2-1 hole. Griggs had to calm his team down and said they were probably the most frustrated with themselves they’d been this season. Griggs told the Falcons they were playing down to Temp Prep’s level, and they had to play their own game in the second half. Then the Falcons finished with a season high of four goals.

“We needed to fix that, and they did in the second half,” Griggs said. “We won 4-3, and it really felt like 4-2 because they scored a last-minute PK. It was a sloppy win, but a win’s a win.”

Griggs, who is coaching as a volunteer, doesn’t have access to other head coaches’ emails or highlight films. He said that Matt Pugliano, former head coach, has been helping Griggs with scouting reports and following along home game livestreams from North Carolina. Since Tempe Prep was a road win, Pugliano didn’t know the score until Griggs texted him afterward.

Kevin Clancy has helped the soccer team ever since Pugliano left. Clancy has a long history of coaching track and cross country, and he leads practice when Griggs is commuting from his college classes.

“I was glad I wasn’t alone,” Griggs said. “I like bouncing off other people’s ideas and not being self-centered with what I’m doing in practice. It’s good because I feel like [Clancy’s] very soft-spoken, which is a good thing. He can get to the guys in ways I can’t. I feel like I’m a little louder in the way I talk and having someone who’s a little more soft-spoken kind of balances it out. He has more coaching experience than I have, I may have more soccer knowledge, but he’s been a track coach for years.”

The Falcons have a very busy week with four games lined up. They hosted Trivium Prep on Monday, and they host Phoenix Christian tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 4 p.m. On Thursday, Jan. 20, the boys travel to North Phoenix Preparatory Academy for a 6 p.m. game, and this Friday, Jan. 21, the Falcons will host Scottsdale Christian Academy at 6 p.m.

The Falcons will travel to BASIS Phoenix next Tuesday, Jan. 25, for a 6:20 p.m. game with the 11th ranked team in 3A.