Imagine being told to make sure you use your head.

Most of the time, someone would take that as insult.

On Saturday, a particular member of the No. 1 seed Arizona College Prep boys’ soccer team, Cameron Long, took it as a challenge.

Challenge accepted.

The senior midfielder directed his eighth header of the contest into the back of the net, just 40 seconds into the first overtime, giving his Knights a 2-1 lead that stood up against No. 10 seed Phoenix Betty Fairfax (17-5-1).

The result was a 5A boys state championship victory for ACP (21-2) at Mesa High School, allowing the Knights to capture the top spot after falling just short in last year’s title match.

“One of my guys, Cameron Long, the MVP today, that boy finally found the net with his head. He’s been trying and trying and trying. That is what he does. He’s an animal,” ACP coach Chad Diegle said.

For Long, failure what not an option.

“At the end of regulation, I had tried seven times (for a header goal) and on the eighth time I just connected,” Long said.

“I am just happy I could come down with one and win it for (my teammates). That is what it means to me. I’m just happy.” added Long.

Solid goalkeeping by both Matthew Kozel (ACP) and Owen Stroop (Fairfax) kept the contest goal deficient as both came up with multiple big saves.

In the final minute of the first half, a point-blank shot by Fairfax’s Nathan Sackor followed by a Knights’ Ewan McMaster blocked shot just 23 seconds later, threatened to end the deadlock, but the match remained scoreless heading into the second half.

Finally, with 15:02 left to play in regulation, a foul was called on ACP at the top of the goal box. This time, Sackor was able to finish, blasting a direct kick into the Knights’ net just under the cross bar, giving No. 10 seed Fairfax a 1-0 lead, and sounding the upset alarm in the stadium.

“We were down one, and that wasn’t enough to keep us down. I knew that,” said Diegle.

The one goal deficit didn’t last long, but it was a wakeup call.

Less than a minute later, ACP junior Dylan Duffy deposited a shot into the lower left of the goal, knotting up the match at 1-1, where it would remain until the Long overtime heroics.

Stampede coach Justin Shalongo was anything but discouraged with his team’s performance.

“Last year (ACP) eliminated us from the playoffs 5-1. It wasn’t competitive most the match. This year it took them more than 80 minutes to beat us, so I am very proud of the guys.”