Youth served: DHS counts on young talent

Youth is being served by the Durango High School girls soccer team, be it a product of skill or one of sheer necessity.

The older and the experienced are the backbone of any high school team, and DHS is no exception. But the Demons’ roster is littered with freshmen and sophomores getting their opportunity to make an impact on the varsity stage early in their careers.

Nearly half – 10 of 21 – the players listed on Durango’s roster come from those two classes, including four freshmen. By contrast, the Demons have just four seniors on the roster, with one – defender Stephanie Ogier – fighting a knee injury of late.

A young team was almost a given after DHS (5-3-1, 2-2-1 Southwestern League) lost 10 seniors from last year’s team. So the crop of underclassmen joined the four seniors and large group of juniors, but head coach Dalon Parker said they were selected not just to fill space on the bench, but based on their ability to immediately contribute, particularly the freshmen.

“With the younger kids, it was more the skill,” Parker said. “When we went into season, the coaching staff said, ‘If we put a freshman on varsity, there has to be no reasonable doubt that they can contribute to varsity.’”

And so they have. Freshmen Lauran Morrissey and Maddie Robertson have made key contributions in the goal-scoring department, while sophomores Jessi Sigillito, Elizabeth Wigert, Lauren Milliet, Laken Bennion and freshman Katie Milliet have occupied the midfield and forward positions with varied levels of aplomb.

Sophomore Risa Ontiveros has seen quite a bit of playing time defensively, as well, while freshman goalkeeper Leah Stephens stepped in earlier this season to start a pair of games in place of senior Hannah Robertson when Robertson was out of town.

“They’re adapting pretty well. It’s always a process when you deal with the younger players. ... Everything is on the verge of clicking and making sense,” Parker said.

Maddie Robertson said that the upperclassmen have been a welcoming bunch, concerned more with the unit’s success than individual placement in the playing-time pecking order.

“The team is so inclusive, and, I don’t know, we feel like we’re all a part of it, one big family,” said Robertson, daughter of Jim and Susie Robertson.

Realistically by this point in the season, the comfort level with the system and with their skills should have freshmen and sophomores no longer playing at the level their grade suggests but beyond. And Morrissey said that, in fact, is the case as the younger players’ confidence grows with each passing day.

“I really don’t feel like a freshman. I feel like we have a really good team dynamic, especially since the last couple games we’ve really tried to increase our communication,” said Morrissey, daughter of Dena and Patrick Morrissey.

That’s not to say there aren’t bumps in the road. The most recent came in last Saturday’s 7-1 road loss to Pine Creek in which PCHS tallied all its goals before halftime. And so Parker’s always looking for his younger charges to make the next step, perhaps starting at 5 p.m. today against Grand Junction Central at Riverview Sports Complex.

“Obviously there is that next step we’re trying to get them to take skill-wise and soccer IQ-wise,” Parker said. “That’s the next level that we’re trying to get them to take right now. But they’re doing well; they’re doing real well right now.”

rowens@durangoherald.com