It all looks pretty even on paper.
The No. 9 Durango High School boys soccer team is on the road for the second round of the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A Boys Soccer State Championships. Waiting for the Demons (13-2-1) is No. 8 Littleton (13-3), who will host DHS at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Littleton Public Schools Stadium.
“We’re all really excited. I feel like everyone is focused in and ready to get the result (Tuesday) and play our best,” said DHS senior captain Tony Williams in a phone interview with The Durango Herald on Monday as the team traveled by bus to the Front Range.
DHS advanced to the second round with a 2-0 win against No. 24 Vista Ridge last Wednesday. The Littleton Lions defeated No. 25 Mesa Ridge 5-0 after leading just 1-0 at halftime in their first-round game.
Both teams are riding impressive win streaks, as the Demons’ stands at eight games, and Littleton has won four in a row.
The two teams have had eerily similar seasons, allowing very few goals against while scoring more than three goals per game. Littleton has scored 59 goals and allowed only eight, while DHS has scored 60 times and allowed just 15.
“Their defense is pretty stout and disciplined. They stand back deep and make it harder for teams that aren’t patient or don’t have the talent pieces to get in behind them,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said. “Our back three has actually been like our back seven with our mids getting back and helping. They’ve been stout the last eight or nine games, too, and I told the boys that if we can come out and play sound and be disciplined, then we will be fine. If we don’t, we will have problems.”
Littleton’s offensive attack has been led by Hamad AliAbid, who has scored 14 goals. Joe Director and Oscar Sanchez each scored eight goals, and Cole Greer has another seven.
The Demons have been led by freshman phenom Elijah Fenton’s 16 goals and seven assists, while Williams has another 10 goals and 13 assists this year. Nick Jernigan scored eight goals, and Vance Bulen is up to five goals and five assists after scoring once in the first round of the tournament.
“Us midfielders work a lot in training with the forwards on how to score goals,” said Williams, son of Claudia and David Williams. “Part of our job as mids is to make sure we do our best to provide the forwards services to go up and get the goals. The battle in the midfield is going to be very important, and we have to be the ones that get the ball and possession.”
The Demons were able to get their hands on one game film of the Lions this season, an 8-0 win against Conifer on Oct. 14. Parker said it was hard to gain much from such a lopsided game, but the Demons did find something in the Lions’ defensive back line they have worked on beating.
“They’ve got four big guys in the back, and they are in a diamond formation. All week we’ve been working on getting forwards inside the diamond with intricate combo play,” Williams said. “I’m excited to take what we did in practice to the big stage and do our best to score some goals on these guys.”
The field used Tuesday is turf as opposed to the grass of the Demons’ home pitch of the Riverview Sports Complex. Playing on turf is nothing new for the Demons, though, and Parker said the team enjoys playing on the surface.
“We’ve had 15 games, and I would say six or seven were on turf. It will maybe take us 5 minutes to get back used to the speed of it, but the boys have seen it more than twice,” Parker said. “The boys are excited to play on turf. Usually when a field is turf, it is full size, which is good for us because we pass the ball. It’s a smooth surface, and if we make a bad touch it will be our fault and not the pitch’s fault.”
Parker said the team was giddy to get off the bus Monday night and play, and he knows they will perform come 5 p.m. Tuesday.
“We have no bumps and bruises. Everyone is healthy and great. We’re really comfortable and ready to play right now,” Parker said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
No. 9 Durango (13-2-1) at No. 8 Littleton (13-3)
Who: No. 9 Durango Demons (13-2-1) at No. 8 Littleton Lions (13-3).
What: Round 2 of the CHSAA Class 4A Boys Soccer State Championships.
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: Littelton Public Schools Stadium.
No. 8 Littleton High School
Colors: purple and gold.
Enrollment: 1,383.
Head Coach: Pedja Vajzovic, sixth season.
League: Jefferson County.
Mascot: Lions.
Players: Hamadi AliAbid, Cass Chisholm, Daniel Cook, Joe Director, Cole Greer, Morgan Harris, Theo Jensen, Sam Korff, CJ Larson, Sergio Lujan, Eric Mascolo, Nolte Mehnert, Hugo Ogilvie, Connor Price, Oscar Sanchez and Jesus Serano.
No. 9 Durango High School
Captains: Logan Graham, senior defender; Dylan McClain, senior midfielder; Tony Williams, senior midfielder.
Colors: red and white.
Enrollment: 1,075.
Head Coach: Dalon Parker, second season.
League: Southwestern.
Mascot: Demons.
Players: Aidan Aggeler, Vance Bulen, Nate Curmano, Elijah Fenton, Trey Furnas, Logan Graham, Conner Henry, Nick Jernigan, Cole Johnson, Jacob Kaplon, Austin Kelly, Saylor Longfellow, Blake McClain, Dylan McClain, Chris Petty, Leifdon Pratchett, Roberto Razo, Evan Schertz, Lars Schwaebe, Steven Sigillito, Luke Stetler, Mason Stetler, Austin Urban, Jared Webster and Tony Williams.
Durango Herald
