One of the perennial powers in girls soccer will attempt another state final run while overcoming a sudden and unexpected shift in leadership.
Brock Becker, who led Valor Christian to each to the past two Class 4A state championship games, resigned abruptly two weeks ago in order to attend to personal issues. Athletic director Rod Sherman has taken over administrative duties for the program, while Valor boys coach Brian Schultz is handling on-field responsibilities during practices and games.
“Brock approached us and said he just had some things he had to take care of,” Sherman said. “We respect that, and wanted to give him a chance to take care of the things he felt he needed to. We certainly are grateful for the success we enjoyed while he was here.”
Becker coached his last game April 19, when a 3-1 loss against Green Mountain knocked the Eagles from the top of the Class 4A rankings. Yet Valor rebounded quickly, recording a 5-0 win against a solid Evergreen club two days later.
Currently ranked third in Class 4A, Valor has posted five consecutive shutout victories since the loss against Green Mountain and the loss of Becker, a streak that includes wins against top-10 clubs from Cheyenne Mountain and Golden. Valor will take a 12-1 record into its regular-season finale at Chatfield on Wednesday.
Becker’s daughter, senior defender Lauren Becker, remains on the team. Sherman said the school will begin searching for a new coach after the school year.
“I hope no one thinks it was because of that one loss. In that regard, it was just bad timing,” Sherman said. “But these girls in our program are resilient and they have really responded well, and we are looking forward to what we hope will be another long run in the state tournament.”
