COLORADO SPRINGS – Jakob Klemme knew the switch was coming.
The junior goalkeeper had only been on the field for a few minutes, yet he dove to his right, secured his second save of the match and helped Crested Butte secure the Class 2A boys soccer state title at a sun-splashed Weidner Field on Saturday.
The Titans picked up a 4-3 win in penalty kicks over Forge Christian when Matias Bonnaterre found the back of the net. Klemme replaced Wyatt Anders, who had turned in a clean sheet, between the pipes. The match ended tied 0-0 after double overtime, and Anders had kept the defending state champions at bay for 110 minutes.
A goalie switch was the plan all along according to Crested Butte coach Than Acuff.
“Everyone knows we are all in for each other,” Acuff said. “To change a goalie for penalty kicks after another goalie had a great game is insanity. We knew the whole post season after we did training that is what we were going to do and they were both on board.”
When the Fury converted on their first three penalty kicks, it looked daunting. Afterall, Klemme said he only started to warm up at the start of the second overtime. But he trusted his unique ability to read the intent of the player delivering the kick.
As Cameron Brown circled in on a unique route before the Forge senior fired off his final kick, Klemme picked up a tell and made his move.
“I tried to lock in and focus on my game all match,” Klemme said. “When I get in there I just read people’s feet and I get a good idea of where their shot is headed. I thought he’d go low and to his left and I was right.”
Klemme’s save set up Bonnaterre’s heroics. The junior foreign exchange student from Argentina was able to squeeze a bounding shot past Forge keeper Ben McLean. Bonnaterre said his family was watching back home in Argentina.
But, all he was watching before he fired off his shot was the ball. It was the first time he’d ever converted a penalty kick and it brought Crested Butte its fourth all time state title and first since 2023.
“I was thinking of shooting bottom left and hoped it would go into the goal,” Bonnaterre said. “I am so focused, I know where I want to shoot. I didn’t see the keeper. I didn’t see anything. I just saw the ball and shot.”
In order to make a keeper change so deep into a match, Acuff had to build a positive culture within the Titans’ program. As Anders came to the bench with a slight limp from a tight hamstring everyone slapped hands and exchanged hugs with the sophomore goalie.
Fans gave him a rousing round of applause.
Everyone knew the plan was to get Klemme into the match and the switch was part of what will go down as state-title winning lore at Crested Butte.
“It was the plan all day you obviously practice penalty kicks getting ready for the post season,” Acuff said. “Jacob was the stronger keeper in penalty kicks, Wyatt is our starting keeper he’s had a phenomenal stretch through the post season. Jacob is our shootout keeper.”
Two keepers, one final shootout goal and a state title.
