WARREN, Ark. – Under the lights at Jim Hurley Jr. Stadium, the Warren Lumberjacks showed flair and resilience in a thrilling non-conference soccer clash, edging White Hall 3-2 in a match that had no shortage of drama.
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It took just three minutes for the first spark, as Warren’s dynamic forward, Jacarlos Marquez, forced the White Hall keeper into an early save. Moments later in the seventh minute, Marquez unfurled a curling free kick—again denied, signaling the kind of relentless pressure Warren would apply throughout the opening half.
Yet, it was at the other end where the Warren crowd held its breath. In the 12th minute, Lumberjacks goalkeeper Jessie Cortes produced a spectacular lunging stop on a dangerous White Hall free kick. Two minutes later, Cortes came up big once more, thwarting a White Hall breakaway and keeping the scoreboard clean.
That defensive effort set the stage for the breakthrough. In the 23rd minute, Marquez—unstoppable on the day—sprinted onto a well-weighted through ball, catching everyone off guard and rifling a low shot in off the far post. The swift combination of speed and precision was a showcase of just how electric Warren’s front line can be. Warren nearly doubled their lead eight minutes later, when Joshua Romero found himself racing past defenders on the left flank, only to see his poked effort saved. At halftime, Warren held a 1-0 edge.
The second half took on a life of its own almost immediately. In the 43rd minute, Marquez struck again in sensational style, weaving through defenders, cutting inside, and unleashing a 25-yard rocket into the top corner—one of the finest goals of Warren’s season. Minutes later, he nearly notched a hat trick, rattling the crossbar with another free kick.
White Hall, however, refused to fold. A penalty in the 56th minute trimmed Warren’s lead, setting the match on a knife-edge. Cortes once again came to the rescue with a huge save in the 63rd minute, ensuring Warren’s advantage stayed intact. The Lumberjacks quickly capitalized on that momentum. At the 64th minute, Marquez beat a defender one-on-one, drew the goalkeeper off his line, and laid the ball across to Jose Velez, who calmly slotted home to make it 3-1.
Just when it seemed Warren had done enough, White Hall scored in the 79th minute, making it a tense finish. The Lumberjacks’ resolve, however, held firm, and the 3-2 victory saw Warren improve to 5-1 overall. They are 2-0 in Conference play.
