ROY — The first time Roy High and West met in boys soccer this year, the teams tied 3-3 after 100 minutes and the Panthers eventually won in a penalty shootout.

On Tuesday in a winner-take-all Region 2 title game, the teams yet again played a six-goal contest. It just took about 52 minutes to decide the game, and really, it was only a matter of seven minutes.

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Royals scored four goals in a span of seven game minutes in the second half, took a 4-1 lead in the 53rd minute which held up and ensured a 5-1 win and Roy’s first boys soccer region championship since 2013.

Aidan Hart (46th-minute penalty kick), Corben Schuffenhauer (50th minute), David Rangel (51st-minute penalty), Schuffenhauer again (53rd minute) and Francisco Gandarilla (69th minute) all scored to turn a tight contest into no contest.

“Struggled to start the game but caught fire there in the second half,” Schuffenhauer said. “We knew we needed something and we just hustled. We were working as a team, we kind of found our game, played our game, passed it, it all worked out.”

As far as explaining Roy’s sudden second-half surge, there are a few theories. Some are rational, such as the Royals (13-2, 11-1 Region 2) playing more aggressively after halftime.

Some are of the superstitious variety; Roy track and field coach Gary Adams entered the press box when West was up 1-0 and Roy quickly scored its five goals.

Or maybe, Roy is just a second-half team in general. The Royals have outscored their foes 23-8 in the second half this year, including 13-1 in the last six games.

“What we told the boys at half was we needed to settle down, we needed to keep the ball, pass it around and then take our chances,” Roy coach Craig Charlesworth said. “We had some chances in the first half that we didn’t convert, but we made some great plays and the kids played their butts off, it was awesome.”

Roy indeed came out more aggressively in the second half. Once Hart’s penalty kick went in, the Royals upped the ante and practically lived in West’s half of the field.

“We were definitely more aggressive in the second half. You could just see it in everybody’s heads (after the penalty). We had the momentum, we were ready to play,” Schuffenhauer said.

Schuffenhauer beat the Panthers’ keeper to a rolling ball, sent it goalbound, fell down and then got back up to celebrate once he found out he scored. Rangel converted a PK a minute later. Schuffenhauer headed in a cross, then Gandarilla thumped in a shot from close range.

By virtue of winning more than 80% of its regular-season games, Roy earned the No. 5 seed in the upcoming state tournament. The Royals will host either Syracuse or Layton on Tuesday, May 16.

Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.

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