Colorado Academy caps unbeaten season with 3A boys soccer title
COMMERCE CITY — Over the past two seasons, Colorado Academy has accumulated a combined record of 38-0-2. And, at the end of the 2013 season, the Mustangs found themselves in a familiar place.
Colorado Academy won its second-consecutive Class 3A soccer state championship title at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, defeating The Classical Academy 4-2 on Saturday.
Both teams came into the game with offensive intensity. The Classical Academy freshman Titus Grant opened up the scoring with a breakaway goal in the fourth minute. Colorado Academy had allowed two goals through 19 games this season before Grant’s score.
One minute later, Colorado Academy forward Robert Wright slotted-in a shot that rebounded off of Classical Academy keeper Micah Mesward to tie it up 1-1. Wright continued his dominance in the half by placing another shot in the right side of the net from five yards giving Colorado Academy the 2-1 lead.
“Throughout this entire season we’ve had trouble scoring the ball,” Wright said. “Our defense has really held us in all these games. We have a fantastic keeper in Jack Thomas. So (Saturday) we felt like this was our time to brings some goals onto the table — and we we’re able to capitalize.”
The ball hit the nylon once again when Colorado Academy senior J.J. Meyers snuck a shot past Mesward on a breakaway from inside the five-yard box. With that goal, the striker extended his goal total to 14 — tops among Colorado Academy players.
Colorado Academy led The Classical Academy 3-1 at half.
After 15 minutes of battling back-and-forth to open the second half, The Classical Academy added another goal off the foot of Grant. The forward punched in a ball that rolled out of Colorado Academy’s keeper Jack Thomas’ hands.
In the 77th minute, Colorado Academy’s Alex Clinkscales extend his team’s lead 4-2 by finishing a volley from five yards out off a cross from the left wing. The Classical Academy couldn’t battle back, and Colorado Academy took home the title.
“It’s all down to my brothers on my team,” Wright said. “It’s been unbelievable, I can’t put words to it. Its been a while since I’ve lost, so all day today I have been thinking how horrible it would be to go out on that note.”
Coach Gabe Bernstein finishes his first season as the coach for Colorado Academy at 19-0-1.
“I counted a lot on our staff,” Bernstein said. “I also counted on my senior boys who have been here (in the title game), they knew what to expect and I think it was a matter of executing our game plan.”
