For the first time since 2013, the Durango High School boys soccer team is on the road for its first-round state playoff matchup.
The No. 22 seed in the 32-team 4A state playoff bracket, Durango will play at No. 11 D’Evelyn on Thursday at 6 p.m.
“As far as our placement, it's deserved considering how the season's gone,” Durango head coach Sean Ackerman said. “Once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen, so I'm not too worried about being as low as we are compared to last year.”
Durango finished the regular season 8-6-1 overall and 5-4-1 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League. The Demons need to win two playoff games to have their 10th consecutive full season with at least 10 wins.
The Demons have had six players score multiple goals this year and 11 players scored a goal. Durango senior forward Benjie Masterson leads the team with seven goals and is tied for first on the team with four assists. Senior Derek Caudle has five goals and four assists and junior Miles Daley has three goals and four assists.
Durango’s problem this year has been on defense. The Demons have allowed at least four goals in a game four times this season.
“It's mainly going to come down to heart, attitude and communication,” Ackerman said about his team’s defense. “When we're out there communicating things out, things get worked out that aren't there in other games. If we are very vocal, we will be very successful.”
Road games have been more of a struggle this year for Durango with a 3-4 road record compared to a 5-2-1 home record. Ackerman acknowledges that the team has been inconsistent on the road, but he pointed to success earlier in the season at Alamosa and at Grand Junction Central as blueprints for road success in the playoffs.
Located in Denver, D’Evelyn finished the regular season 11-3-1 overall and finished third at 8-1-1 in the 4A/3A Jefferson County Soccer League. The Jaguars and the Demons have had no common opponents this year and D’Evelyn is on a four-game winning streak heading into the playoffs.
The Jaguars are led by juniors Kai Burmeister and Isaac Osborne. Wearing No. 3, Burmeister leads the team with 12 goals and six assists. Osborne, wearing No. 8, has 10 goals and zero assists. No other Jaguar has more than four goals.
“They're pretty big, physical and athletic,” Ackerman said about D’Evelyn. “There are a lot of bodies that can win balls out there off corners and crosses, so we've been looking at that and seeing how we could defend it. We've been able to find gaps and some flaws in their system. They're a solid team, but there are some things that we can exploit. They play a 3-4-2-1, so we can find some gaps in that.”
If Durango can pull off the upset, it will move on to the second round and face the winner of No. 6 Greeley Central and No. 27 Skyview on Wednesday. Greeley Central finished the regular season at 13-0-2 overall and 6-0-2 in the 4A/3A Longs Peak League. Skyview finished its regular season at 8-6-1 overall and 6-2 in the 5A/4A Colorado Soccer League.
