COLORADO SPRINGS — Charlie Lucero created plenty of problems against Fossil Ridge in the Class 5A state championship game Saturday at Weidner Field.
The Grandview High School senior has been doing that all season.
Lucero, a full back, netted the game’s second goal en route to a 3-1 win to secure the Wolves’ first boys soccer state title in school history after three previous runner-up finishes (2004, ‘07 and ‘18) and a final four appearance last year.
“That’s how we’ve played all season,” Lucero said. “Our outside backs really like to get up in the offense and support because not a lot of teams know how to defend that: our ability to create that extra threat outside and two-(versus)-one opportunities.”
Defenders acting like wingers, a move frequently used at the pro level, has become a powerful tactic in recent seasons. Now, high school teams like Grandview are using it to secure hardware.
“Over the years, I’ve had a lot of full backs that continue to (attack),” Grandview head coach Brian Wood said. “I give them free range. … Charlie Lucero has been doing that for three years now for us.”
After each team had a quality chance to open the game, the Wolves went to work, and kept playing primarily on Lucero’s left wing. Eventually, they capitalized.
Grandview opened the scoring in the 20th minute. The Wolves had a long free kick chance and loaded players into the box. Defender Ben Beckman served in a cross where Sabercats goalie Alexander Seguin tried to punch the ball away, but only did so partially. After a scramble which saw Xavier Citte’s shot cleared off the line, Luke Williams put it away to make it 1-0.
Five minutes before the half, the Wolves got their second of the game. Seguin tried to prevent a corner kick by diving for the ball on the end line, but he wasn’t able to secure it and it popped back out to Lucero. He fired from a difficult angle and the ball bounced off the inside post and in.
The Sabercats (13-7), this season’s Cinderella, were attempting to become the highest seed (17) to claim the 5A title. And after winning four straight OT games during its run through the tournament, Fossil Ridge wasn’t about to go away quietly.
True to form, the Sabercats got back in the game in the 70th minutes. Central midfielder Quinlan Ybara played a high pass to senior captain Will Boyle, who chipped it over the goalkeeper to reduce the deficit to one.
In the 73rd minute, the pendulum swung back to Grandview again, this time for good. Wolves’ senior captain Dylan Thompson locked up the win with a curling, long-range strike from 20 yards out to make it 3-1.
“I think it could have gone either way,” Boyle said. “We just didn’t come out strong enough, they did. … (Our run) shows them that it doesn’t matter what seed you are, you can make it here. You can win it, but we just couldn’t pull it off.”
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Class 2A: Crested Butte 2, Lotus School for Excellence 0
Crested Butte defended its 2A crown, scoring two goals in two minutes in the second half. The Titans outscored their opponents 84-7 this season.
Class 3A: Roaring Fork 2, Jefferson Academy 1
Chyler Ward scored the best goal of the weekend on a volley to put top-seed Jefferson Academy up. It didn’t last, as 11th-seeded Roaring Fork answered with two goals, the winner coming in the 66th minute from Josh Hernandez.
Class 4A: Northfield 1, Mullen 0
The Nighthawks completed a perfect 20-0 season, with the game-winning goal coming from Moises Inda in the 17th minute on a free kick that bounced down off the crossbar and in.
