Championship games for all classifications in boys soccer are set for Saturday at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs.
Let’s dig into each.
Class 2A
No. 4 Bishop Machebeuf (16-2) vs. No. 6 Crested Butte (13-2-3) at 9 a.m.
Bishop Machebeuf is playing in its first title game in program history. The Titans are playing in their fourth since 2018, winning the previous three.
Jorge Valdes has scored in each game in the postseason and leads the state in points (107), goals (43) and assists (21) this fall. His last came in a 6-0 rout over No. 8 Telluride in Saturday’s semifinals at All-City Stadium. Luke Sri and Carlos Alonzo have each added three goals in these playoffs.
Crested Butte beat No. 7 Denver Christian 4-3 in a shootout after the teams went scoreless through regulation and two overtimes at All-City Stadium. In the first two rounds, Shawn Moran collected two goals and an assist in wins over No. 11 Front Range Baptist and No. 14 Heritage Christian. He has 16 goals and 38 points this fall.
Class 3A
No. 1 Colorado Academy (16-1-2) vs. No. 15 Coal Ridge (12-4-3) at noon
The Mustangs have a place in the finals for the seventh time in 12 years. Simeon Woldeyohannes, the reigning 3A player of the year, is having another strong postseason as CA looks for title No. 7. He scored twice in the opening half of CA’s 3-0 win over No. 4 Forge Christian in the earlier game at the University of Northern Colorado Wednesday. He has four goals this postseason and 20 on the year.
In the later game, the Titans beat the same Rifle team it lost to three weeks earlier, 2-1. Coal Ridge has now won four straight games in this postseason by one goal, including road wins over No. 2 Kent Denver and No. 7 Frontier Academy in the previous two rounds. Jorge Kestler and Colbran Ingelhart have split time in net for the Titans this season, allowing six goals in their last nine games.
Class 4A
No. 1 Northfield (19-0) vs. No. 3 Battle Mountain (17-1-1) at 3 p.m.
The two-time defending champ Nighthawks have won 24 straight heading into their third straight finals appearance. Quinn Tettero scored his 19th goal of the season in a 2-0 win over No. 12 Regis Groff Wednesday at Trailblazer Stadium. Tettero and Ren Garfield each have 19 goals this season.
The game before, Battle Mountain got two goals in the second half from Jakob Methvin in a 3-1 win over No. 2 Centaurus. Methvin has 23 goals this season — and after his last one, he ripped his shirt off and slid to his knees in a Mia-Hamm style celebration in front of his bench. He then shook the official’s hand after receiving a yellow card for it.
Class 5A
No. 4 Denver East (15-4) vs. No. 7 Broomfield (15-2-2) at 6 p.m.
The reigning champs against the program with the state’s most titles.
The Angels are looking for their fifth title and second straight after shutting out their first four postseason opponents. They beat No. 9 Regis Jesuit 5-3 in a shootout at the University of Denver after the teams were scoreless through regulation and two overtimes.
Broomfield is looking for its state-best ninth title and first without legendary coach Jim Davidson, who stepped aside and was replaced by Zachary Hindman ahead of last fall. Marcus Von has three goals in the postseason and 18 on the year. Adam Thresher’s second goal of the postseason came in the 99th minute to send the Eagles past No. 14 Cherokee Trail 2-1 in overtime. Elijah Smith had both assists in the win.