Where’s a Hollywood producer when you need one?
Hotchkiss, the No. 8 seed in the Class 3A state bracket, will play for its first boys state soccer title tonight against Colorado Academy at the North Area Athletic Complex. While the No. 3 Mustangs (16-3-0) have been here, done that, to the tune of four state titles, the Bulldogs (15-0-4) are the minnows from Delta County.
They have no club-soccer ringers, they come from four different high schools and they play for a simple cause.
“It’s just your basic, ‘Let’s get together, kick it around and have some fun,’ ” Bulldogs coach Elaine Wood said.
The team started four years ago at Paonia and moved to Hotchkiss this season. It includes students from both schools, in addition to Delta and Cedaredge. There are brothers Jacob and Caleb Fuller, goalkeeper Evan Hansen and midfielders Kasey Sidor and Alex Quinonez.
“This is a coach’s dream, this team,” Wood said. “But I do have to tell you it’s taken us four years to work through some issues.”
The Bulldogs will have their hands full against the Mustangs and senior standout Alex Gunberg.
The 5A and 4A titles will be contested in a doubleheader Wednesday at Englewood’s Pirates Stadium.
The big-school game will be No. 8 East (17-2-0) against No. 11 Regis (15-4-0).
In 4A, No. 1 Rock Canyon (16-0-3) and No. 6 Niwot (16-2-1) both will be going for their program’s first title.
