Continental, Front Range duel in 5A Colorado boys soccer semis

It shouldn't come as a surprise that two powerhouse leagues will determine who walks away with the Class 5A state boys soccer championship.

For the second year in a row, the Front Range League is well represented with defending state champion Broomfield and top-seeded Fairview (Boulder). The Continental League will have a say, though, in which teams make it to the title game Nov. 14, placing a pair of teams into Wednesday's semifinals at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. The 5A title game is at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.

Sixth-seeded and league champion Heritage (Littleton) draws Broomfield, while Fairview meets up with the surprise team of the tourney in 28th-seeded Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch).

The Golden Eagles entered play with the No. 28 seed after finishing seventh in league play, but proceeded to knock off No. 5 Monarch (Louisville), No. 12 Aurora Central and No. 4 Arapahoe (Centennial) – all by identical 2-1 scores.

"We decided 2-1 must be our favorite score," said Mountain Vista coach Theresa Echtermeyer, whose team also closed out the regular season with a 2-1 victory against ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch). "I don't know, we're just finding a way to win. That's what we're trying to do each game … it's exciting. To make it this far is fantastic for the kids."

This is the deepest the Golden Eagles have advanced into the postseason since playing for a state title in 2010. It isn't the first time a lower seed has made a run either – Heritage was seeded 24th in 2011 when it reached the title game.

"I think mentality plays a huge role in that, and I think Coach Echtermeyer realizes that. I think all the coaches in the final four understand that," Heritage coach Adam Buseck said. "I think it's more difficult to play as a favorite at times. Being the underdog is a little easier to sell."

Mountain Vista has had five different players score in its three playoff contests, with only Brent Lackey having more than one goal.

"I think one thing that makes this team really special is that any player and every player makes a difference every single game," Echtermeyer said. "It's not like there is one player who has the weight of the team on their back.
"We have great team chemistry."

Fairview will be a tough out. The Knights had to get through a pair of league foes in the previous two rounds to remain alive, including 2014 runner-up Boulder in the quarterfinals.

"They earned the No. 1 spot for a reason," Echtermeyer said. "They are a very fantastic team."

Heritage has outscored its three opponents 12-0 through the first three rounds, eliminating No. 3 Arvada West in the quarterfinals. Buseck said the defensive work has been focused all season long. The Eagles played Broomfield in the third game of the season, losing 1-0 in overtime. Buseck, who had high praise for Broomfield coach Jim Davidson, believes that familiarity will help tremendously.

"Taking that team to overtime, where both teams had an opportunity to win, I think that's a really good experience for us," he said. "We're really excited to play them."

Broomfield shut out Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) 5-0 in the quarterfinals.

"It's a great group of teams and coaches that are in this final four," Echtermeyer said. "You look at all the teams that were in the quarters, there is just a lot of depth. It's really an exciting time for boys high school soccer in Colorado."

Class 4A
One thing is for certain – come Saturday, a new champion will be crowned in the 4A classification.

Second-seeded The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) made certain of that by eliminating defending state champion Air Academy in the quarterfinals in a rematch of the 2014 title game. That sends the Titans into Wednesday's semifinals at Legacy Stadium in Aurora against the field's upstart in No. 11 Standley Lake (Westminster), which upset No. 3 Battle Mountain 3-1.

The other semifinal pits top-seeded Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) against No. 4 Evergreen. The title game is at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

After knocking off sixth-seeded Niwot in overtime – overcoming an early two-goal deficit in the process – Standley Lake jumped out early on Battle Mountain and never looked back. The Classical Academy received goals from three different players in defeating Air Academy.

On the other side of the bracket, junior Luke White scored a pair of goals for 2013 champion Cheyenne Mountain in a 3-1 victory against Ponderosa (Parker). Evergreen hit the six-goal mark in a playoff game for the second time in three contests in a 6-1 rout of Longmont. Junior Brock Anderson tallied a hat trick in the victory.

Class 3A
Defending state champion Kent Denver (Englewood) has made it look easy in its march to the 3A semifinal round, outscoring its three postseason opponents 9-0. The Sun Devils dispatched league rival Peak to Peak (Lafayette) 4-0 to advance to the final four against fourth-seeded Vail Mountain on Wednesday at All-City Stadium.

Max Gottesfeld scored a pair of goals for Kent Denver in the victory over Peak to Peak. Vail Mountain, which hasn't lost since the season opener to Jefferson Academy (Broomfield), picked up a goal from Peter Ferraro to hold off Pagosa Springs 1-0.

The other semifinal sends No. 6 Fountain Valley (Colorado Springs) – which tied Kent Denver earlier this season – against No. 18 Coal Ridge (New Castle). The Titans upended two 2014 semifinalists along the way, including a 2-1 victory over Salida in the quarterfinals. SSam Bermingham's first-half goal sent Fountain Valley into the semifinals against Coal Ridge.

The 3A championship game is at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Dick's.