The Durango High School boys soccer team had one of its best seasons in school history last fall, and the seniors who led that team are getting an opportunity to play at the next level.
Durango’s Leifdon Pratchett became the latest Demon to accept an offer to play college soccer as he signed a National Letter of Intent on Friday to compete at Penn State-Harrisburg. The DHS senior played three years on the varsity squad and was one of four Demons to play in all 19 games last season.
“When I was 7 years old, I told my mom not to worry about me going to college because I’d get a soccer scholarship,” Pratchett said. “It’s just a dream come true for me, and I feel like I couldn’t have found a better place for me.”
Pratchett was a mainstay on an elite DHS defensive back line last season that put up ridiculous numbers. The Demons defense recorded 13 shutouts in 19 games and outscored their opponents 69-10 last season. Through 18 games, they had allowed only five goals before losing 5-0 in a state semifinal matchup to eventual Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A champion The Classical Academy.
Coaches at the next level took notice. One of Pratchett’s back-line mates, Camden Garlan,d signed last week to play soccer close to home at Fort Lewis College, and more signings could be coming soon.
“It’s nice to see someone like Leifdon go off and play college soccer because he’s the type of kid that we cherish as coaches,” Durango head coach Dalon Parker said. “He worked his tail off early in his high school days for the opportunity just to play. One of his best traits is his versatility because he played in three different systems in his three years here. We’re just super proud of him.”
Soccer is Pratchett’s first love, but a few other factors also convinced him to choose Penn-State Harrisburg. When everything came together, the choice wasn’t very hard to make.
“First of all, I fell in love with Harrisburg and it kind of reminded me of Durango without the mountains, of course,” he said. “They have an amazing soccer program, but what really appeals to me is the fact that they offer a major in civil engineering. I’ve always had an interest in stuff like that ever since I was little playing with my Legos. When I was presented with the opportunity to play soccer and pursue the degree I want to pursue, it was really a no-brainer.”
Penn State-Harrisburg competes in NCAA Division III’s Eastern College Athletic Conference. The Nittany Lions were 13-9 last season.
jfries@durangoherald.com
