With high school girls soccer in full swing, Denver Post preps editor Kyle Newman breaks down the top five things fans need to watch for over the course of the regular season and into the playoffs.
1. Grandview goes for three-peat
Coach Tari Wood leads the No. 2 Wolves in pursuit of their third consecutive Class 5A title and fourth overall, but Grandview’s had a tough go to start the spring with losses to No. 6 and No. 2 . But with senior Jessica Hixson back to catalyze the offense and junior Reagan McCombs manning the net, Grandview will be in the mix again come tournament time.
2. Fight for titles in four major 5A conferences
The Jeffco League is the most top-heavy of the local powerhouse conferences, with No. 1 Columbine and No. 10 headlining, while Chatfield and can threaten as well. Count on dogfights for the championship between Grandview, No. 5 Arapahoe, No. 8 and No. 9 in the Centennial League; between No. 4 Broomfield, No. 7 , Fairview and in the Front Range League; and between Mountain Vista, Regis Jesuit, ThunderRidge and in the Continental League.
3. leads way in Class 4A
Top-ranked Valor Christian is clearly the early title favorite, as the Eagles were state runner-up last year and return a wealth of talent including three Division I commits in senior midfielder Camryn Dyke (Notre Dame), senior striker Grace Collins (Wyoming) and senior midfielder Tess Boade (Duke). But defending champion No. 2 Lewis-Palmer is capable of a repeat and has one of the state’s best players in senior striker Brianna Alger, while Valor Christian’s Jeffco foes No. 3 D’Evelyn, No. 4 and No. 6 Evergreen are stacked too.
4. Senior leadership reigns supreme
The chance to play for a state championship May 24 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is at the top of many team’s to-do lists. The teams that make it likely will have to weather a handful of snowy games, bitter conference battles and injuries along the way. As in most prep sports, senior leadership is crucial in getting through such adversity en route to one of CHSAA’s best state championship venues.
5. Defense, possession key down the stretch
While there are a handful of favorites for the 5A championship this season, the overall parity across the classification’s top 10 and even beyond it means defense and goaltending will be key down the stretch. Possession, in turn, is also crucial, as even the slightest mishandling of the ball in the final rounds of the state tournament can enable any number of the state’s premier strikers the chance to score and decide a match — or a championship.
