There was little Ian Booy couldn’t do during his time with the Conway boys soccer team.
He was a two-year captain, a mainstay in defense, one of the team’s top passers, was a consistent aerial threat on throw-ins and corner kicks and could even play some goalkeeper if needed.
It’s no coincidence the time Booy spent on the Wampus Cats’ varsity roster resulted in the program’s greatest three-year run as it claimed three state championships.
For that, Booy was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s All-Arkansas Preps Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
“He’s our go-to player,” Conway Coach Matthew Page said. “Everything runs through him. He’s so unselfish. I know that he’s the type of player that could take on multiple kids at a time when he gets the ball at his foot and all the time he passes, gives everybody else a look. He always pushes up for us on set pieces and then hustles back, and it wears on him. I’ll be honest, he’s dead after every game.
“He’s definitely a special kid, and you don’t get a kid like that very often.”
He joins former teammate Will Childers, the 2023 Boys Soccer Player of the Year, among recipients.
Despite his versatility, Booy typically found himself just ahead of the Wampus Cats’ defensive line. With the foresight to clean up messes before they happened and the full attack in his sights, he was central to Conway’s dominance en route to the Class 6A state championship this season.
The Wampus Cats finished 19-1-2, ending the season on a 21-game unbeaten streak. With Booy leading the way, they allowed just 12 goals, nine of which were in the final 21 games.
Conway had 14 shutouts, including the state semifinal against Bryant and the championship game against rival Little Rock Catholic.
The win over Bryant to clinch his team’s spot in its fourth straight state championship game was Booy’s shining moment.
In that match, he scored two goals in two minutes — one from a throw-in and the other from the penalty spot– to secure a 2-0 victory.
“It was amazing, just hard work paying off early and just creating memories,” Booy said. “I really want to perform for this team, and I care about it a lot. So being able to do that was really, really awesome.”
Conway’s offense was centered around dead-ball opportunities. It’s controlled chaos, like a dust storm in a sandbox, constantly forcing defenders into uncomfortable positions in confined spaces.
Booy thrived in that chaos all season as he led the Wampus Cats with 14 goals and 2 assists. He led all defenders in goals this season.
“It’s super fun because it feels like [with] every opportunity, we have a chance to score,” Booy said of Conway’s strategy. “A lot of teams can’t say that, but I love the chaos and really, it’s what wins us games sometimes.”
For his career, Booy scored 22 goals and assisted seven. Off the field, he was a straight-A student, who has decided to forgo his athletic scholarship offers to attend the University of Arkansas and major in finance.
Booy was at the center of an unprecedented senior class for Conway. The 15 athletes ended their careers with three state championship rings, four state championship appearances and a 55-5-5 record over their final three seasons.
After each of those state-title game appearances, Page and the Wampus Cats have needed to reload with the next group up.
“I think just the camaraderie we’ve had,” Booy said. “A lot of these guys this senior class, we’ve been together since before high school, like in middle school, elementary school. We’ve just known each other, hung out with each other and played soccer together, and that’s kind of what makes us so good and made us so successful.”
“It seems like we just keep reloading, repeating,” Page said. “And this team was a special team. We got 15 seniors, and these guys did amazing. These guys played a lot in the last two state championships as well, And it’s going to be sad to see them guys leave. But they were amazing and they continued to do everything I’ve asked them to do.”
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