By Austin White
It has been a season to remember for the 18 boys that make up the Farmers soccer team.
A 6-0-1 record in their league schedule secured for the Farmers their first league championship since 2009. An overall record of 10-4-1 landed the Farmers the sixth seed in the 4A state championship bracket. All of this success has shifted the focus to a possible run at winning the state title due to the fact that the Farmers beat two teams that are currently ranked ahead of them.
The offensive force for the Farmers has come from the powerful leg of junior Max Sweeney. He leads the team with 11 goals, while senior Troy Fairbanks has held down the defensive front at goalkeeper with 96 saves on the season.
You might be asking, “Who is that one team they tied?” Well, it is none other than the Golden Demons.
On a chilly night on October 9th at the NAAC, the Farmers and the Demons hit the pitch for a game that was more than just a rivalry; it was a chance at keeping the battle for the league title alive. It was a defensive struggle going into the last minute of double overtime with the score tied 0-0.
With just under 30 seconds left it seemed as if the Demons finally broke through and scored a last minute goal to stun the Farmers. However, offsides was called against the Demons and the goal was wiped off. Unfortunately, no one relayed the news to the Demons’ bench because they exploded onto the field to celebrate their faux victory.
While the Demons celebrated, the Farmers heard the call, dashed down the field and scored a true goal with 8 seconds left. This time the bad news was for the Farmers as the referees called back the goal due to the excess of Demons on the field. After that the game ended in a 0-0 tie which left the two teams still tied for the league title.
Fortunately for the Farmers the Demons went on to lose to D’Evelyn which meant the Farmers had to beat the lowly Green Mountain Rams to secure league. They won that game 3-1 and brought home the bacon that is the league title. However, the Farmers first round matchup in the state championship did not bring the best of news. Denver South beat the Farmers 2-1 and eliminated them from contention. It was still a highly successful season for the Farmers and they should hold their heads up high.
