Jefferson Academy among Colorado boys soccer teams making semifinal leap

Sometimes being the new kid on the block is a good way to alleviate the pressure.

Take the Jefferson Academy (Broomfield) boys soccer team, for instance. The Jaguars will be making their first appearance in the Class 3A state semifinals Wednesday night at All-City Stadium in Denver, and the team is soaking everything in while it lasts.

Jefferson Academy coach Matt Cassell said the coaches and players were joking Monday that it's the first time the program has practiced after the end of Daylight Saving Time.

"Those things are cool to the guys," Cassell said. "They don't want the season to be over."

The sixth-seeded Jaguars get their opportunity to extend their season one more time when they take on No. 2 KIPP Denver Collegiate at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Two-time defending state champion and No. 1 overall seed Kent Denver (Englewood) takes on fifth-seeded Colorado Springs Christian in the other semifinal.

The semis in 5A and 4A are also Wednesday, with 5A teams playing at Legacy Stadium in Aurora and 4A competing at EchoPark Stadium in Parker.

Jefferson Academy is coming off back-to-back 1-0 shutouts of Basalt and No. 3 Colorado Academy. Senior Lucas Almeida scored the lone goal against the Mustangs, and junior Eric Strauss made eight saves.

The Jaguars allowed only nine goals during the regular season, four of which came in a loss to Vail Mountain late in the season.

"(Eric) has been a key for us. He's big and strong, but defensively we've been pretty good," Cassell said. "We definitely have a structure and system that works."

The KIPP Denver Collegiate offense will test that system. The Tigers have scored 77 goals this season, including 13 in the postseason. Senior Jhovani Gonzalez is the driving force behind that success.

"He's a talented kid, but they have a ton of talented kids," Cassell said. "We know KIPP is a good opponent. You don't become the No. 2 seed by being a slouch by any means."

The Jaguars are battle tested, though, having played a challenging schedule that included consecutive games in September against CSCS and Kent Denver. Jefferson Academy defeated the Lions and fell 1-0 to the Sun Devils on a goal in the final minute.

The tough schedule is a big reason why the Jaguars won't be intimidated or overwhelmed by the stage.

"I think everybody is just really enjoying the moment," Cassell said. "We feel fortunate to get another game together as a team."

Here is a look at each of Wednesday's six semifinals:
MaxPreps Colorado state soccer brackets

Class 5A
Wednesday at Legacy Stadium, Aurora
Championship: 3:30 p.m., Nov. 12, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park
No. 1 Denver East vs. No. 4 Broomfield, 5 p.m.
East is the only non-Front Range League squad still standing. The Angels (18-0) have already defeated a pair of FRL foes in the postseason, including edging Fort Collins 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Senior Max Gottesfeld, a transfer from Kent Denver, leads East with 19 goals, and junior Sam Carson has 17 goals and 10 assists. The Angels last won the 5A title in 2011. … Broomfield is the reigning two-time defending champion. The Eagles (15-2-1) have eliminated two league opponents in the previous two rounds of the playoffs by a combined 7-0 margin. Senior Armando Ocampo is pacing the squad with 16 goals and senior Jeff Robisch has added nine. Junior keeper Jose Ogaz has allowed only five goals in 14 games.
No. 2 Boulder vs. No. 30 Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m.
Boulder (18-0) previously won the 5A crown in 2012 and was the runner-up to Broomfield two years ago. The Panthers won the Front Range League and have outscored their three postseason opponents 15-1. Senior Blaise Werner has a team-high 17 goals; sophomore Omar Castruita has tallied an impressive 18 assists. Boulder defeated Fossil Ridge 4-1 on Oct. 10. … The Sabercats are attempting to do what 28th-seeded Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) did a year ago – reach the title game as a lower seed. Fossil Ridge has already eliminated No. 3 Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village), No. 14 Lincoln (Denver) and No. 6 Arapahoe (Centennial). The team endured a six-game losing streak into October, but has won four of its last five. Senior Grant Martinez leads Fossil Ridge with eight goals and junior Blair Durand has seven.

Class 4A
Wednesday at EchoPark Stadium, Parker
Championship: 1 p.m., Nov. 12, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park
No. 3 The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) vs. No. 7 Durango, 5 p.m.
TCA (16-2) is the highest remaining seed in the field after second-round upsets took out four of the top five seeds. The Titans reached the 4A title game in each of the previous two seasons and 3A in 2013, finishing as the runner-up each time. The team lost two of its first three games, but has won 15 in a row since that time. TCA averages six goals a game, with seniors Titus Grant and Jaden Borja combining for 52 goals and 26 assists. Senior Jeremy Baldes has 11 goals and 22 assists. … Durango (17-1) has also won 15 consecutive games. The Demons needed overtime to get past Skyview (Thornton) in the second round before upending Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) 2-1 in the quarters. Nineteen players have scored for Durango, which is led by Eli Fenton's 11 goals and 14 assists.
No. 9 Battle Mountain (Edwards) vs. No. 12 Pueblo West, 7 p.m.
Battle Mountain (16-2) won the state championship in 2012. The Huskies have won 12 in a row since getting blanked by The Classical Academy in mid-September. The team rallied with three second-half goals to edge D'Evelyn in the quarterfinals. Junior Juan Macias leads the way with 19 goals and 15 assists and senior Creek Kamby has 18 goals and eight assists. … Pueblo West (14-4) may be the wild-card of the four teams. The squad needed overtime to defeat Greeley Central in the first round, but followed that up with a 3-2 upset of fifth-seeded Mullen (Denver). The Cyclones then eliminated defending state champion Evergreen. Senior Michael Peters owns 30 of the team's 68 goals this season; junior Dylan Stanley has a team-high 24 assists.

Class 3A
Wednesday at All-City Stadium, Denver
Championship: 10:30 a.m., Nov. 12, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park
No. 1 Kent Denver vs. No. 5 Colorado Springs Christian, 5 p.m.
Kent Denver (17-0-1) has claimed the previous two 3A state championships and is seeking the three-peat. The Sun Devils held off Coal Ridge (New Castle) 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Senior David Felman has 26 goals in 15 games to pace Kent Denver, which defeated CSCS 2-0 on Sept. 8. … The only two losses for the Lions (16-2) this season came in back-to-back games to fellow semifinalists Kent and Jefferson Academy. The team shut out No. 4 Vail Mountain in the quarterfinals behind senior Ross Norwood, who has three postseason shutouts to his credit. Sophomore Lookens Smith leads the team with 24 goals and 10 assists. CSCS won it all back in 2009.
No. 2 KIPP Denver Collegiate vs. No. 6 Jefferson Academy, 7 p.m.
KIPP (15-2-1) dropped its two games this season to George Washington and Denver West. Junior Jesus Carillio scored three of the team's seven goals in a quarterfinal victory over Denver Science and Tech-Stapleton. … Jefferson Academy (15-3) endured losses in its final two regular-season games before going on its current run. Almeida has set the tone with 22 goals and senior Shervin Kazemi has 13 goals and 12 assists.