D’Evelyn senior Dillon Reisinger, right, attempts to keep the ball away from Golden senior Casey Crowley during the first half Wednesday. The No. 3 Jaguars are two wins away from running the table in the Class 4A Jeffco League after a 2-0 win against Golden. (Dennis Pleuss
ARVADA — D’Evelyn’s boys soccer program is in uncharted territory.
The Jaguars, No. 3 in this week’s CHSAANow.com Class 4A boys’ soccer rankings, have never won a conference title. D’Evelyn (11-1, 7-0 in league) took one step closer to staking claim to the 4A Jeffco League championship Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory over rival Golden.
D’Evelyn sophomore Wesley Tedstrom (3) and Golden junior Paul Cowie, right, track a ball late in the first half Wednesday night at NAAC. Tedstrom scored his seventh goal of the season to help the Jaguars to a 2-0 victory. (Dennis Pleuss
“It’s really big for them,” D’Evelyn coach Paul Moline said of his team’s season so far that includes a current eight-game winning streak. “We’ve got a great group of seniors who have been around for four years. They were here for my first year here. For them to taste this is great for them too.”
Seniors Christian Denton and Dewitt Davis combined to produce D’Evelyn’s first goal Wednesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex. Denton streaked down the left side and fired a shot on Golden senior goalie Jasper Hughes. A diving Hughes saved Denton’s shot, but the rebound went to Davis who was able to put the rebound into the back of the net.
“Our game plan was when we got shot on goal we had to shoot low,” Denton said. “That goalie (Hughes) is good. Dewitt did a good job following and sliding one home.”
The Jaguars extended their lead to 2-0 early in the second half. Sophomore Wesley Tedstrom ripped a shot past Hughes in the 44th minute. It was Tedstrom’s team-leading seventh goal of the season.
Golden (9-4, 5-2) put heavy pressure on D’Evelyn after the Jaguars took the two-goal lead. Senior Casey Crowley had a pair of free kicks just outside D’Evelyn’s goalie box. D’Evelyn senior goalie Chris Linden came up big with a four second-half saves.
It was the fifth game this season Linden hasn’t given up a goal.
“We trained all week that Chris (Linden) had to win everything in the air. He did it tonight,” Moline said. “He did a great job for us.”
Golden senior Mark Seaholm (12) tries to get around D’Evelyn senior Dillon Reisinger as Jaguars’ goalie Chris Linden directs his defenders during the first half Wednesday. (Dennis Pleuss
Linden is no stranger to playing in close games. D’Evelyn has eight wins by a one-goal margin this season. The Jaguars’ lone loss was to 5A Jeffco’s Chatfield back in early September.
“I just try to keep myself calm and composed,” Linden said of playing in several tight games. “I try not to get to wrapped up in the game.”
Golden senior Mark Seaholm, who rocketed a shot off the cross bar just before halftime, was robbed by Linden in the 70th minute on a diving save by the senior.
The loss moved the Demons a pair of games behind the Jaguars in the conference standings. Golden’s next game is 6 p.m. Friday back at NAAC against Conifer.
D’Evelyn plays at Lakewood Memorial Field at 6 p.m. Friday against Arvada. With only two conference games remaining for the Jaguars, that first league title is well within reach.
“We aren’t done yet. We want to finish it out. We’ve got Arvada and Green Mountain left,” Denton said. “Those are two games we should win, but we’ve got to come out and play hard. Then get ready for a deep playoff run.”
D’Evelyn senior Dewitt Davis, far right, celebrates his goal in the 23rd minute Wednesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex. The Jaguars took a 2-0 victory over Golden to run their winning streak to eight games. (Dennis Pleuss
