League championships and bragging rights on line in slate of Colorado boys soccer games

That's not to say big things haven't already happened. Defending Class 5A champion Arapahoe (Centennial) fell victim to a two-game losing streak in September, and Battle Mountain (Edwards) remained undefeated to the extent that it started earning top nods in 4A.

There have been notable individual performances like Pueblo East's David Perez-Rubio, who scored 12 goals in a three-game span to take the top goal-scoring spot in the state.  Also, Adrian Diaz of Alameda (Lakewood) has evolved into one of the elite keepers in the state as he has allowed just one goal in nearly 400 minutes of play.

But for the next month, the focus will be all about the games. League titles will be on the line, as will bragging rights between rivals.



Across all classes here are 10 games that will have an impact on standings and even the playoff brackets that are due out in late October.

Class 5A
No. 10 Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) at No. 4 Grandview (Aurora), Oct. 5, 7 p.m.
After falling short of the 5A title a year ago, Grandview is once again staking its claim as one of the top programs in the state. The lone blemish on the Wolves' record is a 1-0 loss to Fort Collins. Senior Ivan Luna has been Grandview's primary source of offense, totaling 11 goals as of Sept. 23. Keeper Jacob George has seen his fair share of minutes this season thanks to a couple of double-overtime games. Cherry Creek has done most of its winning by narrow margins. At 6-2-1 overall, the Bruins average less than two goals game as they place strong emphasis on defense. Blake Bennett leads the team with five goals, while Cole Frederick has four goals and shares the team lead with two assists.

No. 1 Legacy (Broomfield) at No. 2 Broomfield, Oct. 15, 6:30 p.m.
As it stands right now, the Lightning and Eagles are the top two teams in 5A. There is a deep rivalry between the two programs, and it only burned hotter after Broomfield got a 2-1 overtime win in last year's quarterfinals. For Legacy, the senior combination of Blake Hansen and Jake Maurek has been outstanding with each one scoring eight goals through six games this season. Brandon Hansen has also shined in the net, surrendering just three goals and recording four shutouts. Mawolo Easton and Gustavo Gutierrez have each scored four goals for the Eagles, but the play in net has been the overall strength of the team. Jack Stoecker has allowed just two goals in net this season.

Class 5A/4A
4A No. 8 Air Academy at 5A No. 3 Rampart (Colorado Springs), Sept. 27
If there's a great way to see if Rampart is the team it appears to be, it's a game against the defending 4A state champs. While Air Academy isn't quite having the year many expected the team to have, the Kadets are still a very dangerous squad. Last year's player of the year Thaddaeus Dewing has scored nine goals this season and also leads the team in assists. Rampart, meanwhile, has gotten a steady stream of offense all season. Oboyo Kuot leads the Rams with 10 goals and Liam Milton is right behind him with nine. Senior keeper David Glazener has surrendered six goals all season which is an acceptable number if the Rams continue to dial up pressure on teams offensively.

Class 4A
No. 1 Battle Mountain at Glenwood Springs, Sept. 26, 6 p.m.
Some of the best soccer in the state can be found on the west side of Vail Pass. Glenwood Springs is looking like a strong team once again after advancing to last year's state semifinals. The Demons don't necessarily score a lot, but they don't need to considering the speed and talent found on their back line. Coach Wayne Smith had high praise for Mitchell Burt prior to the start of the season, pointing to him as a big reason for the team's success last year and a catalyst for what the team will be able to do in 2019. Just down the road, Battle Mountain has taken over the top spot in recent 4A rankings. The Huskies play well on both ends of the pitch as Danny Barajas and Kevin Chavez have each scored nine goals, while sophomore keeper Cruz Ramirez has given up just four goals in 400 minutes of play.

No. 5 Palmer Ridge (Monument) at No. 9 Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs), Oct. 15, 6 p.m.
The Pikes Peak Athletic Conference has always been strong when it came to boys soccer and this season is no different. The conference is even featuring a couple of different teams as Palmer Ridge and Discovery Canyon appear to have caught up with the likes of Air Academy and Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs). Junior Matt Sega has scored seven goals and handed out four assists for Palmer Ridge. Senior Ethan Ward has matched Sega's production from a points perspective but he has done it with five goals and seven assists. The Thunder is led by a standout combination of juniors in Nathan Van Keulen and Hunter Lindell. Van Keulen leads the team with eight goals, while Lindell has five to his name. They've each connected on two game-winners.



Class 3A
No. 1 Kent Denver (Englewood) at No. 6 Colorado Academy (Denver), Oct. 10, 4 p.m.
A rematch of last year's semifinal, the two Metro League rivals are set for a clash that could determine the league championship. The Sun Devils came away with the state championship last year and are looking for a repeat performance. Rawson Welch has scored 10 goals for Kent Denver, while Max Hewitt has six. Senior keep Joey Waldbaum has yet to allow a goal in more than 400 minutes in net. Liam Hall leads the Mustangs with six goals, but they employ a diverse offensive attack as five total players have registered multiple goals this season. Keeper Charlie Westfall hasn't kept every shot out of the net like Waldbaum but through six games he had only allowed three.

No. 2 Salida at No. 3 Atlas Preparatory School (Colorado Springs), Oct. 1, 4 p.m.
When Salida travels to Atlas Prep at the beginning of October, the result of that game will have major implications from both a state ranking standpoint as well as control of the Tri-Peaks League. Salida advanced to the 3A quarterfinals last year and was narrowly beaten by Roaring Fork. The problem for any team that steps on the pitch against the Gryphons is senior Lamario Nisbeth, whose 15 goals had him ranked fifth in the state the week of Sept. 23. Atlas Prep won last year's contest 4-2 en route to winning the Tri-Peaks championship. The winner of this game is far from out of the woods, however, as both will have to contend with Manitou Springs at some point. The Mustangs' 1-0 win over Faith Christian (Arvada) earlier this season is an indicator they are a legitimate threat in the league.

No. 5 Delta at No. 4 Roaring Fork (Carbondale), Oct. 3, 6 p.m.
Both Delta and Roaring Fork advanced to the 3A quarterfinals last year, but it was only the Rams who advanced to All-City Stadium for the semifinals. This year, both teams are hoping to make another run but they'll have to battle it out with each other before any talk of playoffs begins. Roaring Fork has found success thanks in large part to senior Ross Barlow. He has scored in all but one game this season and found the net a season-high four times in Roaring Fork's win over Basalt on Aug. 30. Delta has its own elite scorer in senior Martin Corral. After scoring 28 times last year, he's halfway to that number with eight regular season games to go. His offensive output has been backed by keeper Felipe Bedoy who has given up just one goal all season.

Class 3A/2A
2A No. 1 Fountain Valley (Colorado Springs) at 3A No. 6 Colorado Academy, Oct. 5, 11 a.m.
Fountain Valley has already mixed it up with some of the top 3A teams in the state, so what's one more? The Danes head to Colorado Academy hoping that the increased level of competition will serve them well at the start of the 2A state tournament. Chance Maccagnan has found the net eight times for Fountain Valley, while Hugh Sperber, Rin Akimoto and Nick Heinz have all scored four times.

Class 2A
No. 2 Crested Butte at No. 5 Ridgway, Oct. 8, 4 p.m.
It's a good thing these teams get another crack at each other because the 3-3 tie on Sept. 17 left everyone involved unsatisfied. Robert Beserra scored twice for Ridgway and Collin Kendall had the other goal. For Crested Butte it was Gabi Marmolejo who scored two goals to Carlos Franco's one. Crested Butte needs the win to add some confidence as it looks to make a run at defending its 2A title. Ridgway advanced to the second round of the 2A playoffs before getting beat by Fountain Valley. The showdown on Oct. 8 will be a solid preview of two playoff-bound teams, giving fans a look at how the bracket can play out next month.