The Durango High School boys soccer team beat 5A Overland High School 6-1 on Saturday to stay unbeaten on the season.
“I thought we controlled the entire game except for the last 10 minutes of the first half,” said DHS head coach Aaron Champenoy. “Then we really took over in the second half.”
Five Demons scored, and four others had assists.
“We keep spreading the ball around,” Champenoy said. “Everybody is finding ways to be part of the game.”
Cedar Newman gave DHS some early momentum, scoring the game’s first goal at the 18-minute mark on a long shot.
“We knew we needed to test the keeper,” Newman said, noting that Overland’s starting goalie was out after receiving a red card in the team’s previous game.
Sam Persing and David Smagacz added to Durango’s lead in the first half, scoring within 26 seconds of each other. Persing scored when Overland’s keeper blocked a shot, but let the rebound bounce free. Smagacz then fired a shot off the post and in.
“Once we get the ball rolling, it’s goal after goal a lot of times,” Newman said.
Overland got on the board late in the first half with a penalty kick after a hand ball.
In the second half, Davis Cameron, Niko Korte and Newman found the back of the net to propel DHS to the 6-1 win.
Sam Carozza passed to Cameron in stride, who got behind Overland’s defense and then beat the goalie.
Newman assisted Korte, controlling a pass with his chest and then finding an open Korte.
Micah Stahl then assisted Newman on the team’s final goal.
Gates Linney assisted the team’s first two goals.
The coach also credited the team’s defense for their efforts.
“Niko Korte continued to be amazing for us and our back line was very solid,” Champenoy said, referring to Linney and Zak Wentworth.
DHS improved to 3-0-1 with the win. The Demons will next host Bloomfield at 6 p.m. Thursday.
