5A boys soccer: Denver East defeats Fairview for first state title since 2011

COLORADO SPRINGS — A game like soccer is often thought of as a sprint but, in many ways, it can be a more of a marathon.

That, at least, was the theme for Denver East who, as the No. 2 seed in the Class 5A state championship at Weidner Field on Saturday night, won their fourth state crown and first since 2011 with a thrilling 1-0 victory over No. 12 Fairview.

The work that countless squads have put in over the past decade led them to this point.

“A big part of it is building that momentum,” head coach Kirk Bast said. “We came out early and we played hard and we played to win. We just kept going with it and it paid off a lot. If you look at our schedule, I mean, we played the two finalists from 4A, we played Valor, who’s been No. 2. We played these guys in the final. We had a very challenging schedule, you know, and the kids did a great job with it.”

All it took was a little confidence boost and belief in themselves for the boys to respond with grace in some of the most challenging situations. That title game against the Knights certainly played out that way, as neither team managed to get on the board in the first 57 minutes, and Fairview keeper Shane Williams snubbed them time and again leading up to that point.

The Angels needed just one hero, and senior forward Tayler Secrest was more than happy to step into the spotlight. He hit a ball that rolled just past a diving Williams.

“I think we were getting a little frustrated just through the game. I mean, we were really going at it and we weren’t getting anything. But I think we stayed calm and just persevered through,” Secrest said. “I knew that I would get a moment and I saw the ball just kind of roll in there. … I was just so excited. I knew that that was the winner, like we’re winning it after that.”

The win capped a dominant season for the Angels, during which they won 15 of their final 16 contests. The ripple they built with each win, one small drop in the water at a time, created a tidal wave when it mattered most.

Sometimes, it only takes one goal to make the biggest splash.

“I think that a lot of these kids, you know, they certainly work hard, but they weren’t used to being in a situation with such high expectations,” Bast said. “They answered that tremendously.”