3A Boys Soccer: Holy Family Wins First State Championship

COMMERCE CITY – For the first time in school history, the Holy Family boys soccer team has won a state championship.

On Saturday at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, the top-seeded Tigers won 1-0 in overtime to beat No. 2 Jefferson Academy in the Class 3A state championship game to claim their first title.

“It feels amazing,” Tigers senior Jesus Molina said on winning a state title. “It’s the second time I’ve won it. I won it back my sophomore year at Colorado Academy. But this, I won it with the real family, with the family under God where all of our brothers worked together. It feels great.”

The Tigers (16-2-2) entered Saturday’s game having not allowed a goal during the postseason, and that streak continued into a scoreless overtime against Jefferson Academy (15-4-1) on Saturday. Just 2 minutes, 18 seconds into the first overtime period, Molina scored the golden goal off an assist from teammate Oliver Hansen.

Last season, Holy Family (3-10-2) and Jefferson Academy (0-10-6) combined for three total wins. Both teams experienced incredible turnarounds in 2024, with Holy Family rebounding under first-year head coach Ted Hansen.

“I thought we could,” Molina said. “We really created this sort of brotherhood, this team spirit. Our coach is much different. Our training habits, everything’s different. I just feel this season, we just did it for his glory and we did it for each other, our brothers. I think that’s what the turnaround mainly was.”

Holy Family finished runner-up in 2003. Still chasing its own first state title, Jefferson Academy finished runner-up in 2021 and 2016.

During the regular season, Holy Family won 2-1 against Jefferson Academy on Sept. 12. The Tigers also allowed just 14 goals in 20 games this season.