AURORA | Capsule previews of the five first round games involving Aurora teams in the Class 5A boys soccer state playoffs scheduled for Oct. 26, 2022:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2022 CLASS 5A BOYS SOCCER 1ST ROUND MATCHUPS
(32) OVERLAND (7-8) vs. (1) LEGACY (14-1)
6 p.m., Oct. 26, North Stadium
BREAKDOWN: Overland makes a return to the state playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, as the Trailblazers haven’t been there since at least 2008. Legacy, meanwhile, has been a playoff regular for quite some time and made it all the way to the semifinals last season. …OVERLAND: Overland finished the regular season with a 5-0 loss to Arapahoe, which wrapped up a 3-4 mark in the Centennial League that put it sixth. During the regular season, the Trailblazers (in their first season under coach Isaac Valencia) played seven games against teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished 1-6 in those games — though three of the losses came by one goal — with the win coming 3-2 in overtime over No. 31 Grandview. The Trailblazers have been shut out just twice in 15 games, while they have recorded two shutouts themselves. Senior Mohammed Haidara has played a variety of roles for the team and leads the way offensively. …LEGACY: Legacy won the championship of the Front Range South League and enters the postseason on an eight-game winning streak capped by a 2-0 victory over Fossil Ridge in the regular season finale. During the regular season, coach Anthony Romano’s Lightning played 11 teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and defeated 10 of them (including four top-10 seeds in No. 2 Denver East, No. 4 Broomfield, No. 6 Arapahoe and No. 9 Monarch). Legacy has outscored its opponents 37-7 on the season and ended the season with seven straight shutouts and has 11 clean sheets for the season. Senior Cooper Stephens has 15 goals — including five game-winners — to lead the way offensively (on a team where 11 players have at scored at least one goal), while junior Lucas Montera paces the team in assists with 10. …WINNER GETS: The Overland-Legacy winner moves on in Quadrant 1 into a second round matchup against the winner of No. 17 Castle View or No. 16 Fort Collins.
(19) RANGEVIEW (10-5) at NO. 14 PINE CREEK (7-6-2)
6 p.m., Oct. 26
BREAKDOWN: Rangeview had a long streak of playoff qualification snapped last season, but returns to the postseason for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons. Pine Creek has been a postseason qualifier every year for the past decade-plus and lost in the first round of the 5A state tournament last season. …RANGEVIEW: Rangeview moved from the now-defunct EMAC to the new City League (formerly the Denver Prep League) and finished third among 5A teams in the conference with a 4-2 league mark. The Raiders dropped 2-1 contest to the FNE Warriors in their season finale, which marked their fourth straight loss. During the regular season, Rangeview played four teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished 1-3 in those games, with the win coming against No. 32 Overland. The Raiders outscored their opponents by 10 goals during the regular season as they were shut out just twice, while they posted four shutouts themselves. Junior Alexis Salas has been a huge playmaker for Rangeview and leads the team in both goals scored (nine) and assists (12), while the Raiders have 11 players in all who have tallied at least one goal (seniors Jose Rocha Casteneda, Alberto Luevano and Yaziel Salais are tied with four apiece behind Salas). Junior Randy Morales has played the whole season in goal and has a 1.414 Goals Against Average. …PINE CREEK: Pine Creek won the Colorado Springs Metro League despite falling to Liberty in its league finale, then played Cherry Creek to a double-overtime 2-2 tie in its regular season finale. During the regular season, coach Ben Corley’s Eagles played nine teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished 4-4-1 in those games. Pine Creek scored 11 more goals than it allowed as it posted five shutouts and was held goal-less five times as well. Eleven different Eagles have found the back of the net at least once with the largest among coming from junior Ryan Baca (nine), while junior Matteo Rigal has eight to with a team-best six assists. Junior Connor Shaw has played the majority of the minutes in goal for Pine Creek and has a 1.584 Goals Against Average. …WINNER GETS: The Rangeview-Pine Creek winner moves on in Quadrant 3 into a second round matchup against the winner of No. 30 Brighton and No. 3 Valor Christian.
(20) REGIS JESUIT (8-5-2) at NO. 13 CHERRY CREEK (9-4-2)
6:15 p.m., Oct. 26, Stutler Bowl
BREAKDOWN: Regis Jesuit has qualified for the state tournament for the eighth straight season and for the ninth time in 10 seasons, missing out only in 2014, and lost in the first round last season. Cherry Creek has made the postseason for at least the last 14 consecutive seasons and dropped its first round game in 2021. …REGIS JESUIT: Regis Jesuit capped the regular season with a 4-3 victory over Castle View that sealed a third-place finish in the Continental League standings. During the regular season, coach Rick Wolf’s Raiders played seven teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished with a 3-3-1 mark in those games, which included an early-season deadlock with No. 5 Boulder. Regis Jesuit scored five more goals than it gave up during the regular season as it was held off the scoreboard four times and posted a pair of shutouts defensively. The Raiders got at least one goal from 11 different players and two or more from eight with senior Sureel McCain leading the way with five in addition to a team-high six assists. Senior Dagem Tadesse, junior Joseph Bennett and sophomore Stefan Zehnacker are next with three apiece. …CHERRY CREEK: Cherry Creek wrapped up a second-place finish in the Centennial League with a 2-0 win over Smoky Hill, then concluded the regular season with a 2-2 non-league tie with Pine Creek that capped an unbeaten stretch of six games ahead of the postseason. During the regular season, the Bruins played 11 teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished 5-4-2 in those contests. Cherry Creek scored twice as many goals as it allowed and was only shut out twice against five defensive shutouts. Eleven Bruins got into the goal-scoring column at least once with senior Reed Schneider at the top of the list with eight, while sophomore Noah Eisberg and Senior Ryan dube have four each and junior Jack Ogren leads the way with six assists. …WINNER GETS: The Regis Jesuit-Cherry Creek winner moves on in Quadrant 2 into a second round matchup against the winner of No. 29 Legend and No. 4 Broomfield.
(31) GRANDVIEW (5-7-3) at NO. 2 DENVER EAST (13-1-1)
6:30 p.m., Oct. 26
BREAKDOWN: Grandview is in the Class 5A state tournament for the third straight season and eighth time in the past 10 seasons with its deepest run coming last season when it won the state championship. Denver East has been to the playoffs for at least the last 14 seasons and exited in the second round last season. The teams meet in the postseason for the second time in three seasons after Grandview won a first round matchup in 2020. …GRANDVIEW: Grandview capped the regular season with an 8-0 victory over Eaglecrest, which gave it a fifth-place finish among 5A teams in the Centennial League standings. During the regular season (which saw them go to at least one overtime in six games), coach Brian Wood’s Wolves played nine teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished 2-6-1 in those contests (three of the losses went to overtime). Grandview finished the season with an eight-goal performance that also represents the difference between goals scored and allowed as it has been shut out four times and posted six shutouts defensively. Ten Wolves have tallied at least one goal and half of them have multiple scores (senior Ryan Williams has seven, freshman Alex Kedzierski six, senior Courtney Hall five, senior Connor Miller four and junior Xavier Citte four). Miller and senior Will Lujan lead the way with four assists apiece. Sophomore Nikhil Patel has played the majority of the minutes in the net for Grandview and has a 1.279 Goals Against Average. …DENVER EAST: Denver East won the championship of the City League (formerly the Denver Prep League) with an unbeaten conference run that ended with a 4-0 win over Northfield (the No. 2-ranked team in 4A) in its regular season finale. Coach Kirk Bast’s Angels are 10-0-1 since their only loss, a 2-1 defeat against No. 1 seed Legacy. During the regular season, Denver East played six teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished 5-1 in those contests. The Angels had a 32-goal differential in their favor and shut out eight opponents, while they only failed to score once (in a 0-0 tie with George Washington). Twelve players have scored at least one goal for Denver East and more than half have two more more with senior Gus Sundstrom setting the pace with 10. Joining him in double-digits in points are senior James Tucker (six goals) and sophomore Clayton Thomas (four goals, four assists). Senior Liam Sloan has played the majority of minutes at keeper for the Angels and has a 0.721 Goals Against Average. …WINNER GETS: The Grandview-Denver East winner moves on in Quadrant 4 into a second round matchup against the winner of No. 18 Horizon and No. 15 Heritage.
(26) CHATFIELD (8-7) at (7) CHEROKEE TRAIL (11-4)
7 p.m., Oct. 26, Legacy Stadium
BREAKDOWN: Cherokee Trail is in the Class 5A state tournament the second straight season and sixth time in the past 10 seasons and lost in the second round of the 2021 postseason. Chatfield is in the postseason for a second straight season (losing in the first round last season) after it missed qualifying in the truncated 2020 season. The programs met during the regular season with Cherokee Trail winning 2-1 on Aug. 30.
CHATFIELD: Chatfield comes into the postseason on a three-game winning streak that included a 1-0 victory over Bear Creek in its regular season finale, which cemented a fourth place finish among 5A teams in the Jeffco League. During the regular season, coach Brock Bloom’s Chargers played six teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and went 1-5 in those games, with the lone win coming over No. 28 Doherty. Chatfield’s goals scored and goals against totals were nearly identical (with a difference of two), while it posted four defensive shutouts and was blanked just twice. Senior Sam Kemmer is far and away the Chargers’ top goal scorer with 13 on the season, while seniors Chase Benning, Christian Miller and Ryder Killburg next with three apiece. Senior Owen Mahlik is the team leader in assists with seven. Freshman Ridge Blue has spent the majority of the time in the goal for the Chargers late in the season and is coming off two straight shutouts. …CHEROKEE TRAIL: Cherokee Trail defeated Mullen 1-0 in its regular season finale back on Oct. 13 and finished in third place in the Centennial League. During the regular season, coach Mark Hill’s Cougars played against 10 teams that qualified for the 5A state tournament and finished 6-4 in those games, including a win over No. 4 Broomfield. Cherokee Trail finished with nearly double the number of goals scored as goals allowed as it was held scoreless only one time and posted five defensive shutouts. The Cougars’ goals have come from a combined eight players and eight of those are from senior Amman Muzaffar with eight. Muzaffar is followed by senior Jeremiah Rodriguez, junior Garrett Hanson and sophomore Peter Deras with five apiece, while Deras’ four assists lead the team in that category. Senior Colin Starr has played nearly the entire season in goal for Cherokee Trail and has a 1.087 Goals Against Average. …WINNER GETS: The Chatfield-Cherokee Trail winner moves on in Quadrant 4 into a second round matchup against the winner of No. 23 Columbine and No. 10 Rampart.
