Air Academy senior Austin Dewing (7) makes a run down the sideline with D’Evelyn senior Andreas Johnson (13) in pursuit Wednesday night during the Class 4A boys soccer state semifinal at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. Dewing scored three goals in the first half to help the Kadets to a 6-1 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
PARKER — Things escalated quickly Wednesday night in the Class 4A boys soccer semifinal between top-seeded Air Academy and No. 4 D’Evelyn.
Air Academy senior Austin Dewing scored three minutes into the first of two semis at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. Dewing scored a minute later to push the undefeated Kadets to an early 2-0 advantage.
Air Academy junior Henry Yocum, left, tries to get past D’Evelyn sophomore Tomas Nergaard on Wednesday night at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. (Dennis Pleuss)
“It was good. Two goals in three minutes or so, that helped a little bit,” Air Academy coach Espen Hosoien said after his Kadets advanced to Saturday’s state championship game with a 6-1 victory. “I think we were ready for this game. We prepared well in practice. The first half was great.”
Dewing completed a hat-trick in the first half with a goal in the 19th minute. The senior striker has tallied 34 goals on the season.
“It feels phenomenal,” Dewing said of the Kadets reaching the 4A state championship game for the second straight year. “It feels great to be back in it.”
Juniors Henry Yocum and Blake Doran picked up assists on Dewing’s goals. Air Academy took a commanding 4-0 lead with a goal from senior Mason Reiter in the 31st minute.
Air Academy tacked on goals from senior David Louthan and Doran in the second half. D’Evelyn prevented the shutout with a goal from senior Dewitt Davis in the 56th minute.
“It’s a rough way to go out, but I’m so proud of the boys. We played such a great season,” D’Evelyn senior goalkeeper Chris Linden said. “Nobody at the beginning of the year would have believed that we would have made it this far, but we believed in ourselves and pushed ourselves.”
D’Evelyn (16-3) won its first conference title in the program’s history going undefeated in the 4A Jeffco League this year. Winning the close games was the Jaguars’ signature this season. D’Evelyn won eight one-goal games, along with taking a shootout victory against Niwot in the state quarterfinals on the way to the Jaguars’ longest postseason run ever.
Air Academy’s speed and quick passing was too much for the Jaguars to overcome Wednesday night.
D’Evelyn senior Christian Denton (9) passes the ball as Air Academy senior James Sims (12) closes in Wednesday night during the Class 4A boys soccer state semifinal. (Dennis Pleuss)
“That has been our mantra the whole season the last three of four years,” Hosoien said of the Kadets’ ferocious attacking style. “We finally got on a turf field. We like to play on turf.”
Top-seeded Air Academy (19-0) has had one of the most prolific seasons in recent history. The Kadets have outscored their opponents 100 to 5 during Air Academy’s undefeated season.
“Absolutely,” Dewing said if he expected such a dominating season. “We’ve been working hard for a long time. We’re glad to be at this point now.”
Saturday is a redemption opportunity for Air Academy. Cheyenne Mountain defeated the Kadets 2-1 in the 4A title game a year ago. The Pike Peak League champs will attempt to claim their third boys soccer state championship this weekend. Air Academy won the 4A crown in 2010. Twenty years earlier in 1990 the Kadets claimed the 5A title.
“We have a little more confidence and a little more experience,” Dewing said. “We know what to expect and we know how to get it done. I can’t wait to get back to the Rapids’ stadium (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park) and show what we’re made of.”
D’Evelyn senior Sam Van Sickle (19) clears a ball away from Air Academy senior Austin Dewing (7) in front of D’Evelyn’s goal Wednesday night at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. (Dennis Pleuss)
The Classical Academy holds off Ponderosa
PARKER — Despite moving up a classification prior to the season, The Classical Academy finds itself back in a championship game.
Second-seeded TCA got goals from Jaden Borja, a sophomore, and freshman Jake Slater early in the second half, then held off No. 6 Ponderosa for a 2-1 win in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
After Slater’s tally made it 2-0, the Titans looked in complete control. Ponderosa’s Jacob Cade scored with a little over five minutes to play to make things interesting, but the Mustangs couldn’t get another one.
The Classical Academy will make its fourth appearance in a championship game in program history. That includes a 4-2 loss to Colorado Academy in last year’s 3A title game. TCA has yet to win a title in any of its appearances.
This season’s 4A state championship game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.