First round matchups in Class 5A, 4A and 3A for the boys soccer state tournaments.
CLASS 5A
(24) Cherokee Trail vs. (9) Boulder
When: Thursday, 7 p.m., Recht Field.
Records: Cherokee Trail 7-5-3; Boulder 12-3.
Notes: The defending Class 5A champs have won 10 of their last 11 games, and oh yeah, all 10 of those wins have been clean sheets … The lone loss in that stretch was a 1-0 loss to Fairview … Starting goalie Henry Huettel has allowed just nine goals all season … Mason Douillard leads the Panthers with 16 goals and 10 assists for a high-powered offense that averages 4 goals per game … Javier Castruita is second on the team in scoring with 10 goals … Boulder went 1-1 during the regular season against teams from the Centennial League, a 2-1 setback to Cherry Creek and a 4-2 win over Mullen … Cherokee Trail finished fourth in the league … The Cougars went 0-4-1 in their final five games … Senior goalie Alex Recihler will have to be at his best for Cherokee Trail.
(26) Heritage vs. (7) Fairview
When: Thursday, 6 p.m., Fairview High School.
Records: Heritage 8-5-2; Fairview 12-2-1.
Notes: The Knights rebounded from a late loss to Fort Collins to close the regular season with four straight wins and earn a share of the Front Range League title with Boulder … Fairview will try and improve on a playoff run that ended in the semifinals in 2012 to Boulder … The diverse attack of the Knights has seen 12 different players score one of their 42 goals this season … Junior Casey Munsch paced Fariview with a team-high six goals … Of the 42 goals the Knights have scored, 30 have been assisted … Sure-handed goalie Alan Scheuermann has four shutouts this season and on average is forced to make four saves per game … Heritage, a state runner-up two years ago, finished sixth in a very deep Continental League … The Eagles have won three of their last four games — all via shutouts … Chase Breslaw led Heritage, a team that has scored just 27 goals (seven in one game), with 6 goals this season.
CLASS 4A
(17) Skyview vs. (16) Silver Creek
When: Wednesday, 4 p.m., Silver Creek High School.
Records: Skyview 11-3-1; Silver Creek 9-5-1.
Notes: The Raptors will enter the state tournament having gone 0-3-1 in their final four games, albeit against playoff teams like Broomfield and Evergreen in that mix … Despite a 5-6-4 record, Silver Creek earned a berth in the playoffs last season, and nearly made the most of it, losing 2-1 to Cheyenne Mountain in the first round … The Raptors last won a playoff game in 2011 over Denver South … Cameron Guzman has earned high praise from opposing coaches all year, and rightfully so. The senior has scored 17 goals this season, including hat tricks against cross-town rivals Longmont and Skyline … Caleb Foster has faced a lot of shots in net, but has been up to the task, having allowed just 15 goals all season … Skyview finished in a three-way tie for the top spot in the Colorado 7 League … The Wolverines won 5 of their last six games, but lost their final game of the season 5-1 to Fort Morgan … Junior D’Angelo Escobar scored 15 goals to lead the team.
(24) D’Evelyn vs. (9) Niwot
When: Wednesday, 3 p.m., Niwot High School.
Records: D’Evelyn 7-8; Niwot 10-3-1.
Notes: The Cougars have been impressive this season and two of their three losses are to No. 2 Broomfield and No. 3 Cheyenne Mountain … Niwot was a quarterfinalist a year ago, bowing out to Broomfield 3-2 … Since a 4-0 loss to Broomfield on Oct. 3, the Cougars have reeled off five straight wins and have outscored opponents 24-4 during that span … This will be the first Jefferson County league opponent that Niwot has faced since a 1-0 loss to Evergreen in the 2011 state quarterfinals … The Cougars have a bevy of players capable of scoring goals — 12 have done so throughout the year — but the leader is senior striker Danny Witt with 15 … Coach Rob Johnson has had his goalies split time this year and both senior Nick Oelsner and junior Jack Fitzgerald have played well … D’Evelyn started the season 3-7 and rallied to win four of its last five to earn a playoff spot … Jags coach Paul Moline is one of the best in the business and his leading offensive threat is senior Nick Flack.
(22) Centaurus vs. (11) Lewis-Palmer
When: Wednesday, 6 p.m., Don Breese Stadium.
Records: Centaurus 8-7; Lewis-Palmer (10-3-2).
Notes: The Warriors return to the state playoffs after a one-year hiatus … Coach Ken Ebersole guided the Warriors to the second round in 2011, where they lost to Mullen … Centaurus enters the playoffs on a bit of a scoring binge, having scored 14 goals in its last two games, including six against playoff-bound D’Evelyn last Friday … The Warriors 1-2 punch up top of junior Gabe Antunez (nine goals, five assists) and Harian Aldama (seven goals, six assists) will force the defense to make choices against capable goal-scorers … Two of Lewis-Palmer’s three season losses were to top-seeded Air Academy (5-1) and No. 3 Cheyenne Mountain (5-2) … The Rangers scored 59 goals in 15 games, but also surrendered 24.
(31) Widefield vs. (2) Broomfield
When: Wednesday, 6 p.m., Elizabeth Kennedy Stadium
Records: Widefield (10-5); Broomfield (11-2-2).
Notes: The Eagles are a playoff fixture under coach Jim Davidson, and will try to take it a step further this season after bowing out in the semifinals to eventual champion Battle Mountain last year … The Eagles also made that run last year without starting goalie Michael Genge, who broke his arm in a 2-1 first-round playoff win against Summit … Broomfield’s only two losses this year were to 5A No. 5 Grandview and No. 18 Arapahoe … The Eagles rolled through a tough Northern League schedule 7-0-1 and outscored league foes 19-2 … Connor Metzger and Ben Gibble have been the go-to goal scorers, but have been set up nicely by sophomore Porter Milner … Milner, a sophomore, has been an anchor in the midfield for the Eagles and his flip throws in the offensive end are always dangerous. He has 10 assists this season … Genge has nine clean sheets this season … Widefield was 5-1 in the C.S. Metro League and doesn’t have a win over a 5A or 4A playoff team … The Gladiators leading goals scorer is senior Blaise Balumwa.
(18) Skyline vs. (15) Pueblo West
When: Wednesday, 6 p.m., Pueblo West High School.
Records: Skyline 11-4; Pueblo West 12-3.
Notes: The Falcons are back in the playoffs, looking to improve on last years one-and-done at the hands of Golden … Skyline will take the momentum of a flawless 10-0 run through the 4A Tri-Valley League that for some odd reason was not good enough to earn them a home playoff game … Senior Jesus Cervantes has scored goals in eight straight games and leads the team with 15 tallies … All four of Skyline’s losses were to Northern League teams … Under coach Luis Chavez for the last three seasons, the Falcons have posted a winning record each year … It could be a good draw for the Falcons against Pueblo West. The Cyclones have traditionally chewed up South Central League foes, but struggled in the playoffs. The Cyclones’ last playoff victory came in 2009 … Pueblo West shared the league title with Pueblo Centennial … Junior Jaydon Moreschini led Class 4A with 26 goals, including two four-goal games.
CLASS 3A
(27) Dawson School vs. (6) Coal Ridge
When: Friday, 1 p.m. Coal Ridge High School.
Records: Dawson School 7-7; Coal Ridge 12-2-1.
Notes: The Mustangs have already made a trip to the mountains this season, suffering a 2-1 loss in Crested Butte in late August … Dawson sneaked into the playoffs by winning seven of their last eight games … The big win for the Mustangs in that stretch was a 3-1 decision over Denver Christian on Oct. 1 … Dawson’s Michael Paquette finished the season on a goal-scoring binge, including a four-goal outburst in a 6-3 win over Ridge View Academy … Coal Ridge, located in Silt on the Western Slope, has been a playoff staple the last few years and made it to the state semifinals a season ago … The Titans have scored a ridiculous 71 goals this season, and senior Edgar Enriquez has 30 of those … Enriquez has scored three or more goals in a game on six different occasions.
(26) Peak to Peak vs. (7) Bruce Randolph
When: Friday, 4 p.m., Denver South High School.
Records: Peak to Peak 6-8-1; Bruce Randolph 11-1-2.
Notes: The Pumas are obviously playing for coach Peter Chandler, who announced he is hanging up the cleats after the school year to focus on his athletic director duties … Peak to Peak may have impressed the committee with an end of the season 0-0 draw against Kent Denver … The Pumas played Bruce Randolph in the first round of the state playoffs last year as well, recording a 2-1 victory. The Pumas lost the following day to host Holy Family in the second round … David and Faniel Grifftith have combined for 12 goals and 9 assists … Bruce Randolph, a member of the Denver Public Schools, has been very successful under coach Matthew Fockler, but are still looking for the program’s first playoff victory … The Grizzlies went 7-0-1 against Region 8 teams and outscored them 38-4 in the process … The player to keep and eye on is senior striker Ulises Gonzales, who has 22 goals and 9 assists this season.
(18) Crested Butte vs. (15) Holy Family
When: Friday, 3 p.m., Salida High School.
Records: Crested Butte 13-2; Holy Family 10-5.
Notes: It wasn’t exactly how the Tigers wanted to get into the playoffs, but nonetheless, they are in … The Tigers dropped four of their final six games — all to teams that are seeded in the top 9 of the 3A bracket … Holy Family is playoff tested having been to the quarterfinals a season ago … The Tigers must find a way to score goals and they have plenty of capable finishers. Christian Guerrero and Patrick Borer each bagged 11 goals this season and sophomore Scott Avirett wasn’t far behind with nine … The game will be in Salida. … Crested Butte is making its first playoff appearance since a 2-0 loss to Colorado Academy in 2011 … The Titans enter the playoffs on a 12-game winning streak with their last loss coming to Weld Central (6-1) on the last day of August … Junior Kaleb Schultz leads Crested Butte with 16 goals this season.
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