DECATUR — The Decatur boys’ soccer team is on its way to the state 4A tournament after beating Eureka Springs 3-2 on Thursday.

The game was delayed on several different days because of storms and the girls’ team played their entire game in the rain Thursday, taking a 45 minute break because of lightening.

The boys’ team played in damp and soggy conditions with fog so thick it was hard to see across the field, said coach James Garner.

Qualifying for the state tournament is a wonderful accomplishment, but there are a few wrinkles. Decatur is scheduled to play in the state tournament at noon on Friday in Jonesboro - about five and a half hours away - and six of the 15 team members are set to graduate at 7 on Fridayevening.

As of press time on Tuesday, Garner and athletic director Bobby King were working with conference officials to reschedule the game for earlier in the day so students don’t have to make the difficult decision of whether to play in the state tournament or attend their own graduations.

“With luck, we will beable to change it,” Garner said.

The top four teams in the district will advance on to state. Berryville placed first in the conference, followed by Green Forest, Gentry and Decatur. Both the Gentry girls’ and boys’ teams will be in the state competition.

Although Decatur is a small school and the soccer teams are small in number, the teams have held their own. Decatur plays in the 4A conference, even though the school is barely big enough to be considered a 2A school. Because there are not enough soccer teams in the state, the 2A, 3A and 4A conferences have been combined, Garner explained.

In soccer, 11 players take the field at a time. Both Decatur’s boys’ and girls’ teams have 15 players each, meaning the players must have the endurance to play for most of the game. Many of the teams Decatur faces have enough players to field two teams or more and can easily switch players when one gets tired.

The team has been consistently improving and has won more games as the season has progressed, Garner said.

“We’ve played better than in the past. The kids are starting to control the center of the field,” he said.

Sports, Pages 9 on 05/11/2011