Rick Wolf and his coaching staff didn’t quite know what to make of their Regis Jesuit boys soccer team on the first day of the 2025 season.
On the last day, however, there was only description: state champions.
The graduation of a tremendous group of seniors — who accounted for nearly 200 points — from a 2024 team that suffered a disappointing exit in the Class 5A quarterfinals left a lot of uncertainty. All questions were answered for good Nov. 15 at Weidner Field, when Wolf’s sixth-seeded Raiders got an overtime goal from junior Sawyer Berg to defeat No. 1 Ralston Valley 1-0 in the state championship game (see story, here).
“I think we returned two starters from last year and we had no clue what to expect with this group,” Wolf recalled in the giddy aftermath as his team claimed the program’s first state title since 1996 and fifth all-time.
“But I could tell after we played the first game against Ralston Valley (a 1-1 tie at the Arapahoe Warrior Invitational Aug. 28) that they were special. I told them that this team would be better than last year, which was shocking to them because of the individual personnel and players we lost who are doing great things now in college as freshmen.
“I don’t know if they believed it then, but I think they do now.”
Indeed, the departures from a 14-2-2 team in 2024 — the majority of which had also contributed to a semifinal run the season before — left Regis Jesuit as an unknown, even internally.
The Raiders returned players who had scored a combined total of just six of last season’s total of 76 goals and tallied 25 of its 220 points, while it also lost a multiple season starter at goalkeeper and some key figures on the defensive back line.
The preseason Colorado High School Activities Association coaches poll reflected the uncertainty, as the Raiders debuted in the No. 6 position. Even as late as the Oct. 20 poll, they had only risen two spots to No. 4 behind the likes of Northfield (then No. 1), Cherry Creek (the 2024 state champions at No. 2) and Ralston Valley (No. 3), who were all also unbeaten at the time.
But a gradual build of confidence throughout the season forged the Regis Jesuit team into one that was ready to compete in the postseason.
That belief was accelerated in mid-September, when it swept two home contests against Gonzaga from Washington D.C. and Marquette from Wisconsin in the annual Jesuit Classic, which made returned to Colorado for the first time since 2021 (see story, here).
A 3-1 win over Gonzaga — which went on to lose in the semifinals of the DC state tournament — on Sept. 18 and 1-0 defeat of Marquette, which lost in the Wisconsin championship game, a day later built belief that big things were in store. It was the first time Regis Jesuit had won the tournament in 27 seasons.
“I think we slowly started to realize that we’re the team to beat,” said Bachus, who had the game-winning goal against Marquette. “We had a tough draw with Ralston Valley in the first game when we got equalized in the last second by a keeper. That put our heads all over the place a little bit, but then we had the Jesuit Classic. We beat Gonzaga and that was a defining game for the season and that’s when everyone started realizing that we’re this team.
“Nobody can beat us when we are at our best.”
Indeed, nobody would defeat Regis Jesuit in any way.
In the past, the Raiders have often struggled when returning to play in Colorado after the Jesuit Classic, but this time they jumped back in with a decisive 4-1 defeat of Mountain Vista that spurred a run to lock up the Continental League championship. Only Heritage managed to avoid defeat and played Regis Jesuit to a 0-0 draw.
Once the postseason arrived, Regis Jesuit demonstrated a resolve and toughness that got it through all things and ended with a championship to go with those previously won by the program in 1991, 1992, 1995 and 1996.
“We’ve got a lot of grit,” Berg said. “Not every player is amazing, but every player is amazing together.”
Indeed, it took them all to make it through five games to win the state championship. The Raiders also showed ultimate depth, as five different players had winning goals in the title run and nine recorded at least a goal or an assist.
Senior Rory Schmeider had the only goal needed in a 2-0 opening round win over No. 27 Lakewood, senior Cameron Sim converted a first-half penalty kick that provided enough to beat No. 11 Denver North 2-0 in the second round; Bachus scored go-ahead and insurance goals in the second half in a 3-1 quarterfinal win over No. 3 Northfield and junior Jackson Huguelet’s corner kick found the back of the net for the difference-maker in a 3-2 semifinal win over No. 7 Pine Creek Nov. 11 at CIBER Field at the University of Denver.
That set up the chance for another potential hero for the championship game against Ralston Valley.
It took more than 80 minutes for that to finally occur, as Regis Jesuit found very little room against a strong Ralston Valley defense that had yielded just six goals in 19 games.
After it survived an onslaught of second half pressure from the Mustangs — who were led by senior star Ethan Orchard, a University of Denver commitment who had 18 goals and eight assists on the season — with a big effort from junior keeper Marcus Huguelet, the Raiders knew they had to go for it in the golden goal overtime.
“Our defense has been super solid, so that’s probably the most action I’ve had, other than maybe the semifinals (against Northfield),” Huguelet said. “The second half was tough and we were getting beat up pretty bad, but the coaches kept telling us ‘all it takes is one.’ Not even a minute into overtime, we score the goal.”
Regis Jesuit got to kick off in the extra session and after two restarts, Bachus and junior Connor Barrett recognized a weakness in Ralston Valley’s formation. Barrett touched the ball to Bachus, who started a play that saw the ball go to the left wing to sophomore Diego Torres, who centered it to Berg, who settled the ball to Bachus for a quick shot with good pace that was saved by a sprawling Brown.
The ball remained loose, however, and Berg blew between a pair of defenders and finished with his fourth goal of the season and first since Oct. 25.
“I played a good ball to Kam because I knew he would score,” Berg said of Bachus, who had a team-leading 12 goals. “He didn’t score, but the ball popped out right in front of me and I just knew I couldn’t miss.
“Easy to say (it was his biggest goal), it’s never going to happen again,” he added. “I’m so happy.”
All the way down the field, Huguelet saw it unfold in all its glory.
“The goal was insane, I saw the ball pop right out in front of the net and I thought ‘someone’s got to be there’ and Sawyer was,” he said. “Everything about that was perfect.”
The happiness flowed throughout the team and up into the massive Regis Jesuit student section, which surged onto the field as strobelights flashed. The fans were herded back into the stands so the Raiders could receive the trophy, but the memory of that celebration won’t fade.
“I’ll remember that for the rest of my life; this is truly a moment I’ll keep close,” said Sim, who joined Bachus in a Lambeau Leap-style celebration in the stands. “I’ve been playing on this team for four years and losing in the semifinals sophomore year and quarterfinals last year, we felt like we had to prove something to not just our parents and our family, but everyone who has supported us and our coaches as well.
“This is the best feeling in the world. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
Wolf felt something like it in 2019 — but from the opposite end — as he watched the Raiders lose in overtime to Broomfield on a golden goal at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. He was equally flabbergasted when his team did the same to Ralston Valley.
“I can’t believe it. I just cannot believe it,” Wolf said. “I feel like it’s a dream and I was going to wake up. You hear people say that before and you’re like ‘yeah, whatever,’ but it’s so true. It was incredible. Unbelievable.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports