Murky 4A Jeffco League boys soccer picture to clear up over the coming weeks

LAKEWOOD — With six boys soccer teams in the Class 4A Jeffco League at or above a .500 conference record to start the week, the race for the conference title is wide-open.

“It is really interesting this year,” D’Evelyn coach Jason Arbuthnot said of the parody of the conference after the Jaguars managed a solid 4-1 victory over Bear Creek on Monday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. “The teams who hadn’t been playing really well are now playing good enough that if you don’t come out and play well you can lose any (league) game.”

Wheat Ridge, Evergreen, Golden, D’Evelyn, Standley Lake and Green Mountain — more than half of the 11-team league — all look to have a legit chance to win the coveted league title. There is still a handful of conference games remaining before the league schedule concludes on Friday, Oct. 24.

“We definitely have a shot if we stay consistent,” D’Evelyn junior Isaac Osborne said after his hat-trick against Bear Creek. “We need consistency and aggression, mainly.”

D’Evelyn (8-3-1, 5-1-1 in league) was coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Evergreen last week when the Jaguars faced Bear Creek (5-4-3, 2-2-3).

The Bears got out to a 1-0 lead in the first half with a breakaway goal by senior Jesse Quintana, his first goal of the season. However, D’Evelyn got the equalizer from Osborne at the 24th minute in the first half. The game was tied 1-1 going into halftime.

“It’s all about bouncing back,” Osborne said of the Jaguars overcoming the early 1-0 deficit to Bear Creek.

Junior Cal Janakus gave D’Evelyn’s its first lead of the game in the 53rd minute. Osborne put the game away with a pair of goals in the final 20 minutes to give D’Evelyn the 4-1 victory.

“For these boys to come back and do what they did today after going down a goal,” Arbuthnot said. “Excellent team this year. I love these boys. They have been playing really well together as a team.”

D’Evelyn has three league games remaining against Wheat Ridge (Oct. 16), Standley Lake (Oct. 20) and Conifer (Oct. 23). 

When asked if Arbuthnot will do some scoreboard watching over the next few weeks he simply responded, ‘constantly’. 

One of the biggest league games that could clear up the race for the league title will take place tomorrow at Evergreen High School. Wheat Ridge (8-1-2, 5-0-1) travels up the hill to face the defending league champion Cougars (8-3-0, 6-1-0). 

“That game is going to be huge for us,” Arbuthnot said of the showdown tomorrow night in Evergreen. “If Wheat Ridge can beat Evergreen and we can beat Wheat Ridge on Thursday we’ll have a good chance to winning league this year. It’s one game at a time.”