Evergreen and TCA advance to 4A boys soccer title game
(4) Evergreen 4, (1) Cheyenne Mountain 3
AURORA — In a semi-bizarre Class 4A semifinal showdown between No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain and No. 4 Evergreen at Legacy Stadium, held with snow banks around the edges of the field and featuring a controversial goal, the Cougars found a way to sneak into the title game with a 4-3 victory.
Evergreen (16-2-1 overall) took a commanding lead off a Brock Anderson penalty kick goal in the 31st minute and a Ryan Gutberlet score in the 37th minute to make it 2-0. The Indians (15-3) got one back when Luke White won a scramble for the ball with Cougar keeper Logan Westgard and placed one in the right corner to cut the deficit to 2-1 with 20 seconds to go before the break.
The first half was, well, rather normal.
Then the second half began and chaos ensued. After a Steve Belrose header nudged the lead to 3-1 a few minutes after the break, Cheyenne Mountain needed a goal to keep its hopes alive. White delivered again, but this time the goal, as video, which isn’t used for replay at the high school level, but was seen in the press box, showed that the ball actually went through a hole in the right side of the net.
The goal was not only controversial, but simply shouldn’t have counted. Nonetheless, with 21 minutes to go, the Indians had new life as they trailed 3-2. That is, until Gutberlet, a freshman striker, all but sealed Evergreen’s title game appearance with his second goal of the game with 2:18 on the clock to make it 4-2. Cheyenne Mountain’s Sam Kilimann did score with 23 seconds left, but the Cougars prevailed.
Gutberlet, second on the team in goals with 10, has helped lead an offensive outburst for Evergreen in the playoffs. After scoring a total of four goals in their last four regular season games while going 2-1-1, the Cougars have exploded for 18 goals in four postseason contests.
“During the playoffs, we’ve stepped it up,” Gutberlet said. “Brock, Steve, and some of the other guys on the team are just racking up the goals right now. We are moving the ball really well.”
The first-year player has been at the forefront of the offensive fireworks, as well.
“My first goal was a really good touch by my friend Michael Belrose,” he said. “It was perfect. He laid it in and I shot. Second half got a little hectic, but we managed to pull it out.”
Evergreen, who lost to eventual state champion Cheyenne Mountain 1-0 in the semifinals two years ago, will be making their third appearance in a boys soccer state championship game. The Cougars lost to Mullen in the 4A finals in 2011 and beat Fort Collins in 1989, the last season of unclassified play.
“This is my freshman year and now we’re going to state,” Gutberlet said. “It’s awesome.”
(2) The Classical Academy 4, (11) Standley Lake 1
The Classical Academy lost one of 4A’s best players in the first half of their semifinals game against Standley Lake.
Titus Grant, with 29 goals on the season, tied for the most in the classification, earned a second yellow card after the ref called a controversial penalty on him for a a collision with the Gators’ keeper on a fifty-fifty ball with 11:31 to go before the break. The Titans, the No. 2 seed in the bracket, were down a man the rest of the game.
No matter, as TCA rode Grant’s first goal, an amazing one from about 45 yards out and only 33 seconds in, and goals by Jaden Borja, Aaron Peck, and Anders Carlson, not to mention stifling defense, to a 4-1 victory.
The Classical Academy (18-1) will be making their fifth appearance in the past six years in a boys soccer state title game. They were the 3A runner-up in 2010, 2011, and 2013 and lost to Air Academy in the 4A finals last year. The Titans will face Evergreen in the 4A title game without Grant, who, by rule with a second yellow card, will be suspended for one contest.
Standley Lake (13-6) got a gorgeous goal on a free kick by senior forward Nick Rosser with 22 minutes left, but the Gators were mostly smothered otherwise. The No. 11 seed in the tournament, Standley Lake took down No. 22 Montrose, No. 6 Niwot, and No. 3 Battle Mountain during their Cinderella march to the Final Four.
The 4A state championship game will be played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City this Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
