COLORADO SPRINGS — “That’s East Soccer, baby.”
Denver East coach Kirk Bast uttered those words as Angels players re-entered Weidner Field with a speaker in tow and blaring “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
It took the No. 2-seeded Angels nearly an hour to summit the Class 5A boys soccer peak, but they did thanks to a goal in the 57th minute from Tayler Secrest to win 1-0 in the title against No. 12 seed Fairview on Nov. 12.
The championship is Denver East’s fourth and first since 2011.
“These guys have that confidence in each other whether they’re down or if they need to protect a lead,” Bast said. “That confidence comes from achievement and that’s not just what they achieved in games, but from practice and preseason.”
The Angels fired shot after shot at Knights keeper Shane Williams, but he stymied various attempts with methodical clearances to keep the game tied at 0-0 through the first half.
Despite the failed attempts and Williams’ brilliance throughout the match, the Angels’ confidence never wavered.
Denver East’s Tayler Secrest said, “I think we knew from the beginning we were going to win” and the Angels managed their frustrations from missed opportunities with the confidence in their own keeper and back line.
“Out defense has been so amazing all year,” Secrest said. “Knowing that our defense is there to hold it down and keep the opponent from scoring goals gives us so much confidence up top.”
So as the Angels and Knights entered the second half locked in a scoreless tie and Denver East continued to pepper Fairview with shots, East players realized they’d eventually break past Williams.
And the Angels squeezed past the Knights’ defense almost midway through the final frame.
Secrest said teammate Guston Sundstrom left the ball in area for an Angel to score. Denver East capitalized with 22:32 on the clock.
“I knew I would get a moment and I saw the ball rolling,” Secrest said. “I got my chance and was able to slot it home. Props to the whole team because we don’t get that goal without everyone being in the right place.”
The Angels finished the year 18-1-1, their best mark since their title run in 2011 where they went 17-3.
Their lone loss came in a 2-1 defeat at Legacy on Sept. 18. Bast said they’ve built momentum since then and cashed in for the season finale.
“We had our peak moments and our low moments and we had to fight through stuff,” Bast said. “We fought through a lot to make it to this point and I’m so proud of what these kids achieved.”
