Contenders, changes await Colorado boys soccer season

If there was ever a case to be made as to why the Colorado Springs region is a hotbed for prep soccer, the 2013 fall season should provide all the evidence needed.

Six teams battled for three state championships a year ago, and a remarkable four of them came from the Springs. Two of those squads – Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) in Class 5A and Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) in 4A – brought home titles.

"For Colorado Springs to have both teams in the 4A final, the 5A champion and a team in the 3A championship?" Air Academy (US Air Force Academy) coach Espen Hosoien posed. "I thought that was pretty cool."

Hosoien's Kadets fell to Cheyenne Mountain in the 4A title game but return all-state forward Austin Dewing, who scored 23 goals a year ago. Along with Cheyenne Mountain, the 4A ranks now includes The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs), which moved up a classification after falling to Colorado Academy (Denver) in the 3A title game last fall.



Pine Creek is the defending 5A champion after defeating Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) a year ago. Colorado Academy captured the 3A crown, edging TCA.

Top storylines

• Colorado Academy is the two-time defending 3A state champion but begins the year ranked second in the CHSAANow.com's preseason poll. Salida, which fell to TCA 1-0 in the semifinals a year ago, is ranked No. 1. Colorado Academy graduated four all-state players and 10 seniors overall.

• Defending 5A champion and top-ranked Pine Creek was senior-heavy in 2013 with 12 now-departed players, but Nick Bannister returns after scoring eight goals and leading the Eagles with 11 assists.

• Smoky Hill (Aurora), which was 5A's top seed last fall, has three all-state players back in Kevin Del Mazo, Walter Prince and Colton Ladyga. Del Mazo and Prince each finished with double-digit totals in goals and assists, and Ladyga helped anchor a defense that allowed 19 goals all season.

• Cheyenne Mountain graduated nine seniors of its own off the 4A title team, but senior Christian Nehme – who scored the game-winner in the championship game – returns after scoring 10 goals as a junior. Sean Derby had 14 assists as a sophomore.



• Pueblo West senior Jaydon Moreschini was seventh in the state in goals scored last fall with 27. The Cyclones were a young team in 2013, graduating only five seniors off a squad that won 13 games before falling to Broomfield in the 4A second round.

• The Classical Academy scored 100 goals a year ago and had three players finish with more than 50 points. Robby Jacobs scored 30 goals and then-freshmen Titus Grant and Jeremy Baldes combined for 37 goals and 25 assists. The Titans graduated only five seniors but are now in the 4A ranks.

• Among the other notable changes in classifications, Standley Lake (Westminster) – which advanced to the second round of the 5A state tournament – drops down to 4A. Broomfield, a 4A state quarterfinalist, moves up to 5A.

Top players

Returning CHSAANow/MaxPreps all-state selections:

Class 5A: Nick Bannister, Pine Creek, Sr. (1st team); Chase Breslaw, Heritage, Sr. (2nd); Kevin Del Mazo, Smoky Hill, Sr. (1st); Zach Fronapel, Fort Collins, Sr. (1st); Peter Hendricks, Ralston Valley, Sr. (2nd); Marcus Krause, Doherty, Sr. (2nd); Colton Ladyga, Smoky Hill, Sr. (2nd); Dalton Lundberg, Heritage, Sr. (2nd); Porter Milner, Broomfield, So. (1st); Ben Overholt, Chatfield, Sr. (1st); Walter Prince, Smoky Hill, Sr. (1st); Jorge Rangel, Grandview, Sr. (2nd); Roberto Velasquez, Highlands Ranch, Sr. (2nd).

Class 4A: Brendan Clark, Valor Christian, Jr. (2nd); Austin Dewing, Air Academy, Sr. (1st); Griffin Dorsey, Evergreen, So. (1st); D'Angelo Escobar, Skyview, Sr. (1st); Nate Flack, D'Evelyn, Sr. (2nd); Titus Grant, The Classical Academy, So. (2nd); Robby Jacobs, The Classical Academy, Jr. (1st); Cameron Guzman, Silver Creek, Sr. (1st); Eric Spangler, Centaurus, Jr. (2nd); Cruz Valdez, Skyline, Sr. (2nd).

Class 3A: No returning all-state players.



Top upcoming games

Class 5A: Denver East at Heritage (Littleton), 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 21; Boulder at Smoky Hill, 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 26; Pine Creek at Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village), 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28; Rock Canyon at Grandview (Aurora), Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Class 4A: Longmont at Wheat Ridge, 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28; Evergreen at Air Academy, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28; The Classical Academy at Cheyenne Mountain, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28; Lewis-Palmer (Monument at Pueblo West, 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28.

Class 3A: Bruce Randolph (Denver) at Aurora West, Tuesday, Sept. 2; Denver Christian at Vail Mountain, 4 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 4; Saturday, Sept. 13; Salida at Coal Ridge (New Castle), 11 a.m.