Colorado high school boys soccer back in its rightful place on the calendar

The COVID-19 pandemic push the boys soccer season to the early spring in 2021, and although the seasons played out and champions were crowned, it felt off. But the 2021-22 year has fixed all that.

Teams that are still relatively fresh off championship seasons are trying to repeat, and teams that were left out of a limited playoff field are out to prove that they belong in competition among the best the state has to offer.


Boulder: There is no reason to believe the Panthers won't be a 5A powerhouse as they are in most seasons. After a stunning state quarterfinal loss to No. 16 Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village last spring, Boulder is refocusing on another deep playoff run. Seniors Calvin Pielke and Alex Rumph each scored four goals last season, while junior Cameron Gerber had six to lead all returning players. Senior Evans Sims allowed just seven goals the entire season and should have another standout performance this fall.

Fairview (Boulder): The only blemish on Fairview's overall record was a 1-1 tie in its season opener against Broomfield. From that point on, the Knights were nearly perfect and were rewarded by winning the 5A state title. They had a diverse scoring attack, and Layne Weeks returns after netting five goals. Mckenzie Mazur and Peter Alspaugh each had three and are back with Weeks for their senior seasons. Junior keeper Shane Williams was a wall in the net, allowing just five goals in the spring. If he plays to that level again, it could be a repeat season for Fairview.

Grandview (Aurora): It wouldn't be a true 5A boys soccer season without Grandview finding itself in the championship conversation. The Wolves return three players in Blake Harwell, Charlie Lucero and Courtney Hall who scored at least three goals last season. Sophomore keeper Nikhil Patel is inexperienced but should get better throughout the season.

Liberty (Colorado Springs): A relatively young Lancers team took the 5A field by storm last spring. Milas Norwood scored 10 goals and then-freshman Caden Hickox added four as Liberty marched to the state semifinals. The team is off to a fast start to the fall season with junior Isaac Lee taking an early lead in team goals with four in just two games. Senior keeper Kole Anderson is also looking strong, turning away all four shots he has faced this season.

Notable returning players: Caleb Ballard, Arapahoe (Centennial); Cyrus Gulati, Cherry Creek; Darwin Leiva, Aurora Central; Mason Louth, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch).

Battle Mountain (Edwards): The top seed in the 4A state tournament fell just shy of the semifinals with a 4-0 loss to Lewis-Palmer (Monument). They will have plenty of players around remembering that feeling and being able to help wash it away. Bryant Ramirez scored 15 goals last year and Sam Koontz added four more. They accounted for all four goals that the Huskies scored in their first three games of the season.

The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs): The Titans are always a threat to contend for the 4A crown, and this fall is no different. In two games, they've shown depth in scoring ability with five different players already netting goals. Among them is senior Brock Carpenter, who led the team with 14 tallies last year. He also recorded a team-high 10 assists and should continue to give his teammates chances to score when he doesn't have a look at the net.

Mullen (Denver): The Mustangs went 8-2 in the spring and were left out of the 4A state tournament. They don't plan on repeating that misfortune as they've started the season with impressive wins over Battle Mountain and Erie. Senior Eli Kerschen is off to a hot start, scoring seven goals in just two games so far. Andrew McGrath has picked up right where he left off last year, turning away five shots and not allowing a goal thus far.

Niwot: Leading scorer Azael Marrufo is back after helping the Cougars to the 4A semifinals in the spring. A 2-1 loss to Windsor dashed Niwot's state title hopes, but it remains very much in the hunt going into this season. Marrufo has already scored four goals this fall season and has gotten some scoring help from junior Orlando Lopez and senior Jacob Elston. Matthew Hansen and Javier Amaya each saw early time at keeper and gave up a combined one goal in the first two games.

Notable returning players: Quincy Cooling, Montrose; Zane Doehring, Frederick; Evan Hutson, Erie; Ian Najar-Armendariz, Denver North.

Class 3A
Coal Ridge (New Castle): Early indications for the fall of 2021 are that the team has every intention of getting right back into the state tournament and making a deeper run than its quarterfinal finish. Junior Ezra Williams has gotten off to a hot start with two goals in two games. Eddie Salazar hasn't found the net yet after scoring eight goals last year, but should get his chances as the season goes on. Junior keeper Sammy Chamorro has already turned away 16 shots on goal while allowing just one goal this season

Colorado Academy (Denver): The Mustangs were loaded last spring and rolled to an undefeated season and the 3A championship. They lose a significant amount of seniors, but with such a deep squad last year, it might just be an issue of players stepping into fill some roles to keep the wins coming. Colorado Academy returns seven players who scored goals last year with Nico Watters leading the group with five.

Frontier Academy (Greeley): The Wolverines made a Cinderella run to the 3A title game. They edged No. 3 Lamar, No. 6 Manitou Springs and No. 2 Liberty Common – all by one goal each – to get to Weidner Field in Colorado Springs. The result was a 2-1 overtime loss to Colorado Academy. Cass Cure was a big piece of the team's success with 15 goals and three assists and will likely step into the senior leadership role. The big question for the Wolverines comes at keeper where the only minutes at the position were played by seniors last year.

Liberty Common (Fort Collins): The Eagles return a lot of talent after a disappointing state tournament this last spring. As the No. 2 seed, they made it to the semifinals before getting upset by Frontier Academy. Noah Boehner is back and should a top scoring threat. Liberty Common opened the season with losses to Fort Collins and Faith Christian (Arvada), but a tough slate early in the season should help the team come playoff time.

Notable returning players: Ayden Johnston, Faith Christian; Sebastian Kohlhofer, Vail Mountain; Sean Lowe, Manitou Springs.

Class 2A
Crested Butte: The defending 2A champs haven't missed a step in their early games this season. The Titans got off to a quick 2-0 start with both wins coming against 3A teams. Junior Jacob Bernholtz has led the way with four total goals in those two games, while Davis McNeill and Grayson White have each added one. They will face a few more 3A teams early in the season before hatching down into league play where they'll see strong opponents in Ridgway and Telluride.

Loveland Classical: The Lions put together an impressive season in which they claimed a league title and playoff berth. They lost 2-1 to Thomas MacLaren in the first round of the playoffs, but there is some talent returning this fall that could put them right back in the playoff picture. Sophomore Nathan Rosen netted just four goals in his first varsity campaign and should emerge as a legitimate scoring threat as a sophomore. Keeper Zachary McIntyre is heading into his junior year and should improve on his 1.212 goals against average.

Thomas MacLaren School (Colorado Springs): The state runner-up won't open its season for another week, but the Highlanders are anxious for an opportunity to get back into the championship picture. They get leading goal-scorer Michael Brophy back after he netted 20 goals last spring. Junior keeper Jeth Fogg will also be back in the net after surrendering just 11 goals in 11 games last season. With a strong core returning and having experience in the playoffs, the Highlanders are certainly a team to watch this fall.

The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs): The Coursers have a lot going for them when it comes to a blend of talent and youth. Luciano Camerena led the team with 10 goals last year as just a sophomore. Sophomore Conner Benton gave up over three goals per game while starting at keeper, but a year of experience should help him settle into the box and make great strides as a sophomore.

Notable returning players: Cooper Ahern, Ridgway; Declan Jodlowski, Telluride; Nick Knobel, Dawson School (Lafayette); Theo Lawson, Fountain Valley (Colorado Springs).