No. 4 Wheat Ridge girls soccer off to a hot start in Class 4A Jeffco League
LAKEWOOD — Wheat Ridge’s girls soccer team is wasting no time when it comes to racking up the victories.
The Farmers — No. 4 in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com rankings — improved to 3-0 on the season with a dominating 6-0 victory over Conifer on Monday night at Lakewood Memorial Field.
“Off to a really good start. I’m really pleased with the girls,” Wheat Ridge coach Dan Watkins said. “There hasn’t been enough training to be where we want to be, but we are starting to put things together and creating some combination. We are putting some goals on the board so that feels good.”
All three of Wheat Ridge’s wins have come in 4A Jeffco League play to give the Farmers the lead out of the gates in the deep conference. The Farmers have outscored their opponents 14-1.
A 2-1 victory out of the gates against league rival Green Mountain last week really jump-started the season for the Farmers.
“Having the really tough first game I think really prepared us,” Wheat Ridge senior Jessica Brummett said of the Farmers’ 1-goal victory against the Rams. “It got us into the mindset of working hard and staying disciplined early on.”
The Farmers scored early and often on a cold and rainy Monday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. Sophomore Sadie Powers knocked in the first goal in the 2nd minute off a corner kick. Brummett scored a minute later to make it a 2-0 lead for the Farmers.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better start,” Coach Watkins said of the Farmers scoring twice in the opening three minutes. “It gives you a chance to relax and let the game come to us. It put us in a good position for the rest of the night.”
Brummett would complete the hat-trick with goals in the 32nd and 48th minutes to give herself already five goals on the season.
“I was kind of mad last game because I didn’t get to score, but my teammates have been giving me a lot of good balls and opportunities,” Brummett said. “You just need to finish when you get them.”
Six different Farmers have found the back of the net so far this season with Brummett leading the way with her handful of tallies.
“Jess is a good target for us. She is able to turn and puts balls in to the back of the net,” Coach Watkins said. “We’ve got a handful of girls who can do that.”
Sophomore Taylor Watkins has already proven to be a scoring threat. The youngest daughter of the Farmers’ longtime coach scored goals in the 17th and 31st minutes of the first half on long driving shots just under the cross bar.
Taylor also had two of her corner kicks result in goals for the Farmers against the Lobos (1-1 record). The sophomore is taking advantage of finally playing for her father after so many years being on the sideline.
“I came here in a car carrier. It’s crazy,” Taylor said. “I remember being a ball girl for eight years. I love playing here under the lights. I’ve waited so long for this.”
Taylor already has three goals and three assists on the season.
“It is a little weird talking about my own kid,” Coach Watkins said of Taylor. “I’m just excited for her. She has wanted to be out here since she could walk. To be able to play with the girls, be apart of it and contribute to the group is a great feeling for her.”
Taylor admits the car rides home from games are a little different then they used to be when she was a spectator waiting her turn to get on a high school pitch, but she is relishing every game.
“I love having my Dad on the sideline,” Taylor said. “I’ve enjoyed having that relationship with him and getting finally able to (play for him) after 16 years.”
The shortened 10-game regular season will go by in a flash and the Farmers know that a slight miss-step might undo the great start to the season. Wheat Ridge toughest part of its conference schedule comes when it closes out the regular season against No. 3 D’Evelyn (June 7) and No. 1 Evergreen (June 9).
“Across our league there are a lot of good teams,” Coach Watkins said. “We’ve got to worry about one game at a time. Hopefully those ones at the end of the season mean something and we’re ready to play.”
