The last time the Hinckley-Big Rock boys soccer program advanced to the championship match of the Little Ten Conference Tournament before Friday, Royals senior forward Sawyer Smith was in second grade.

“I’m not sure, but there is a pretty good chance I was here,” Smith said. “I’ve followed H-BR soccer ever since I can remember.”

Smith’s goal with 24 minutes remaining proved to be the winning tally in the No. 2-seeded Royals’ thrilling 2-1 victory over top-seeded Somonauk/Leland/Newark at Larry “Doc” Peppers Field in Hinckley in the 44th edition of the event.

For H-BR – now 16-3-2 and winners in 12 straight – it was the first title win since 2016 and 11th overall.

The Bobcats, who fell to Indian Creek in last season’s title match, dropped to 13-5-2.

The teams, which played to a scoreless tie through regulation and two 10-minute overtimes in the regular season, were deadlocked at zero at halftime Friday.

“I thought we worked really hard in the first half, but weren’t able to get one in,” H-BR coach Scott Bastian said. “We talked at halftime on how if [S/L/N] was going to key on Sawyer [Smith, who entered the match with 37 goals on the season], putting three guys on him, as much as they were, someone else was going to have to step up.”

The Royals opened the scoring four minutes into the second half when Travis Herrmann corralled the initial shot by Smith that was saved by Bobcats goalkeeper Tristian Reed (three saves) and found Gavin Pickert for a header goal on the weak side.

“Then we came out and had a couple of our sophomores combine on a great play to give us the lead. Travis kept the play alive and then made a super crossing pass to Gavin, who was right where he needed to be. Scoring off the weak side has been one of our strengths this season.”

Smith gave his team a 2-0 advantage with a screaming shot from 30 yards out on a counterattack that found its way in between the post and the hands of a diving Reed.

“It’s been a while for the program, so this one feels great,” Smith said. “This was one of our best matches of the season.

“Yeah, they were marking me pretty good in the first half. Coach switched me from the middle to the outside, but we just were trying to go up the middle too much, right into their defense. We talked at halftime about how we needed to get shots on the net and then be ready for rebounds.

“Sure enough, that’s how we finally broke through.”

S/L/N, which held a 20-12 advantage in overall shots, including 11-5 on net, made it a one-goal match on a penalty kick goal by Nolan Kerley with 11 minutes, 27 seconds left.

The Bobcats had a couple of excellent chances in the final moments, but Royals keeper Alex Casanas was up to the task each time. Casanas finished with 10 saves, half coming on diving or leaping stops.

“Not only hats off to Hinckley-Big Rock, but hats off to my guys,” Somonauk/Leland/Newark coach Jonathan Liechty said. “What a great effort tonight.

“We had a number of really good chances throughout the match, but just couldn’t find the finish we needed. We just needed a couple more bounces to go our way, but that happens sometimes. On the other side, [H-BR] was able to capitalize and scored on a couple of really good plays.

“It’s disappointing, because this is a match that we want to not only be in but win every season. It just wasn’t meant to be this year. Now we move on to our next goal, which is winning a regional title.”

H-BR opens Class 1A regional action at home against Harvest-Westminster, a team it lost to 3-2 during the season on Oct. 21. S/L/N will play the winner of Serena and Earlville immediately before.