The road to the Class 2A boys soccer state finals at the Weidner Field in Colorado Springs must first go through Denver’s All-City Stadium.
And with the way things have unfolded in this bracket, where all three top seeds have gone by the wayside, don’t be surprised if there’s another twist or two in getting there.
No. 4 Bishop Machebeuf is in the 10 a.m. semifinals game after beating No. 13 Lake County by three goals and No. 5 Loveland Classical by one this postseason. The Buffaloes face No. 8 Telluride, which won in consecutive shootouts over No. 9 Dawson and defending champ, No. 1 Vail Mountain in the opening two rounds.
No. 6 Crested Butte then faces No. 7 Denver Christian in Game 2 at 12:30 p.m. The Titans, looking to win the 2A title for a fourth time in six seasons, are a game away from returning to the finals after wins over No. 11 Front Range Baptist and No. 14 Heritage Christian in Rounds 1 and 2. They’ll have to end the longest winning streak remaining in the classification, as the Thunder pushed it to nine in a row after shutting out No. 10 Lotus School for Excellence and No. 15 Jefferson in the first two rounds.
Here’s what you need to know going into each game.
No. 4 Bishop Machebeuf (15-2) vs. No. 8 Telluride (11-3-2)
Storyline to watch: Telluride’s ability to limit star forward Jorge Valdes will be key in a matchup featuring a pair of strong programs looking to finally break through and win its first state title. Valdes leads the state in all three major offensive categories, having 43 goals, 21 assists and 107 points so far this season. When Valdes scores, the Buffs are 15-0. When he didn’t this fall, they were shut out by 3A No. 2 Kent Denver and No. 7 Denver Christian. Telluride will be a tough test for him, allowing just 14 goals on the year.
Don’t sleep on: Valdes, of course. But there probably isn’t really any danger of snoozing on the state’s offensive production leader. Telluride’s Obi Clarke is one to watch. The freshman leads the team with 17 goals but hasn’t recorded one in his last three games. Could he break out? Meanwhile, senior teammate Alain Montano is second on the team with 12 goals and has scored in two of his last three games.
Stat to know: Bishop Machebeuf leads the state with 106 goals this season. Second is 4A Skyline with 93.
No. 6 Crested Butte (12-2-3) vs. No. 7 Denver Christian (13-3-1)
Storyline to watch: Both teams have played their best soccer over the last month. The difference lies somewhere in the details as Crested Butte has been involved in several tight games of late, including a double-overtime win over Heritage Christian in the quarterfinals, while Denver Christian has outscored teams 36-3 over its last eight games. In fact, the Thunder haven’t lost since Sept. 16 when a 4-1 loss to Fountain Valley dropped them to a 4-3-1 start to the year. Crested Butte had two draws and a loss to end September before going 4-0-1 over the last month, finishing tied with Telluride atop the 2A Intermountain League.
Don’t sleep on: Denver Christian keeper Elias Romero has allowed just 11 goals and has 9 shutouts this season, including two straight blank slates this postseason. He made four saves in the 3-0 victory against Lotus School for Excellence in Round 1 and followed it up with two more in a 1-0 win over Jefferson.
Stat to know: Both teams have a stingy defense, with the Thunder allowing the fewest goals in the class with 11, and the Titans giving up the third-least at 14. Which often means to bet the under. But in this case, with goals very well coming on a premium here, look for someone like Denver Christian’s Asher Hawes or Crested Butte’s Shawn Moran to deliver in the clutch. Both already have a two-goal game in the postseason, Hawes’ coming in Round 1, Moran in the quarterfinals.