The boys’ soccer team at Rampart High School has moved into Class 5A’s top spot in the latest Selection and Seeding rankings on CHSAA — begging the question ‘Is this the year the Rams make a run at their first soccer title?’
Out in the second round of the postseason the past two years and a win away from the semifinals in 2019, the Rams have started 2023 with six wins and a draw. And the contributions are coming from everywhere.
Twelve players have at least a point this season and nine players have scored for Rampart, which travels to No. 5 Arapahoe Tuesday ahead of league play.
In this week’s look at the sport, let’s dive into a couple of red-hot teams as we enter league play.
Class 5A
No. 1 Rampart: The Rams have won four in a row since drawing with Cheyenne Mountain late last month.
In wins over Pueblo Centennial and 4A No. 5 Air Academy last week, Maddox Madrid scored twice, while Brayden Tester added his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
No. 2 Ralston Valley: The Mustangs won four straight before losing to Rocky Mountain Monday, touting a season goal differential of 20-to-8.
Keeper Evan Bierman, the team’s catalyst in reaching last year’s semifinals, has four shutouts and 30 saves on the year through seven games on MaxPreps. During the winning streak, he allowed just one goal.
Cooper Hineline had a hat trick in a 6-0 win over Liberty last week and leads the team with six goals and three assists.
Class 4A
No. 14 Longmont: The Trojans (6-2), who won a combined six games the past two years, which included a winless 2021 campaign, won six straight coming into this week before falling 2-1 to No. 1 Centaurus.
The Warriors scored twice in the final 23 minutes to survive.
Twelve players had at least a point and four had multiple goals for the Trojans, who get No. 2 Silver Creek Thursday.
No. 11 Regis Groff: The Fusion are a perfect 6-0 and 2-0 in the 4A/3A Denver League, outscoring teams 29-1.
Ever Zubia has five shutouts in net and Berk Ozekin has eight goals and an assist on the year.
Class 3A
No. 10 James Irwin: Coming into Monday, the Jaguars (7-0-1) had scored 41 goals and had won seven straight since drawing with consecutive 2A runner-up Lotus School for Excellence in their opener last month.
Irwing Romo Carranza came into the week second in the state with 17 goals. Ten different players on the team have scored this season.
No. 14 Fort Lupton: The Blue Devils (6-1-2) have won five in a row and tout the state’s leading goal scorer in Diego De La Fuente.
De La Fuente scored five times in a 10-0 win over Arvada Wednesday, pushing his season total to 22.
Class 2A
No. 3 Crested Butte: Winners of five straight, the Titans have eight different goal scorers and are outscoring teams 33-7.
In a 10-0 win over Colorado Rocky Mountain Saturday, Shawn Moran, Marin Gardner, Kai Greene and Eli Hulm each scored twice.
Crested Butte, 2A champs in 2018 and 2020-21, are home against 2019 champ Ridgway Tuesday.
No. 6 Vail Mountain: The defending champs have won four straight heading into Tuesday’s game against 3A No. 1 Colorado Academy.
Rutley Heinemann’s 11 goals and six assists leads the team. He had two goals in a win over Rifle last Tuesday and three goals and an assist in an 8-0 win over Aspen Thursday.
