ARVADA — The Class 4A Jeffco League boys soccer title is up for grabs and Wheat Ridge knows it could be in the Farmers’ hands if they take care of business.
Wheat Ridge won its fifth straight game Tuesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex. The Farmers took a 3-1 victory over Standley Lake.
“I’m pretty excited about the opportunity,” Wheat Ridge senior Marco Neswadi said with the Farmers on the doorstep to win a conference title. “My team has been putting in a lot of work. I’m ready to seize the moment.”
Wheat Ridge (10-3, 5-1 in 4A Jeffco) closes its league schedule with two huge games that will help decide the conference champion. The Farmers face Evergreen at 7 p.m. Thursday at NAAC. They wrap up league play against rival Golden on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Lakewood Memorial Field.
“With Evergreen and Golden left it is all in our control,” Wheat Ridge coach Nate Flack said. “We have talked about doing the little things right.”
Going into Tuesday’s action, Golden, Evergreen and Wheat Ridge were all in a tight race for the league title. Littleton and Conifer were just behind the top three in the standings.
Wheat Ridge started league play Sept. 20 with a 1-0 loss to D’Evelyn. Since that loss the Farmers defeated Conifer in double-overtime and rallied late last week to beat Littleton.
“Communication has been the turnaround,” Neswadi said of why the Farmers have gone on a key winning streak in the middle of the league play. “The way that we talk to each other really changes the mindset of the game. If you talk negatively you are going to play bad. You talk positively you are going to play good.”
Wheat Ridge broke the scoreless tie in the 23rd minute against the Gators (2-10-1, 0-5-1). Standley Lake freshman goalie Travis Fredrickson made the initial save on a close-range shot by Neswaldi. However, Wheat Ridge sophomore Jacob Tims was able to get the rebound and put it past Fredrickson to give the Farmers the 1-0 lead.
“I was happy that we scored,” Neswadi said of having his his pointblank shot saved. “It’s all good. It’s a team goal.”
Three goals were scored in the span of three minutes of the second half. Wheat Ridge freshman Jacob Harrison put the Farmers up 2-0 in the 69th minute, but Standley Lake answered in the 71st minute with a laser shot by sophomore Wilson Poveda Jr. that got past Wheat Ridge junior goalie Bryan Vera Ruiz.
The Farmers struck back seconds later with a sliding goal by junior Ethan Craner off a centering pass from junior Bernard Jakab to make the final score 3-1.
“We didn’t play our best soccer tonight, but we did enough to win,” Flack said.
Flack has emphasized to his team that a lot is out of its control, but the Farmers can control their work ethic and attitude.
“I don’t fell any pressure at all,” Neswadi said heading into the final two games with the league title on the line. “When we go out there we are going to have fun and enjoy the moment.”