AURORA – To hear Annabelle Rakers tell it, her game-winning golden goal late in overtime in last year’s 2A girls state soccer championship was just being in the right place at the right time.
“Abby (Downey) told me she was shooting it, but it ended up as more of a cross,” Rakers said. “Then I just happened to be there and I just had to tap it in. I didn’t really do much.”
But Rakers, a two-sport star at Flatirons Academy, was able to find that space where hard work plus opportunity equals success.
“We’ve watched the end of that game so many times, seeing the moment where it all works perfectly,” said Amy Downey, the Flatirons Academy coach and Abby’s mother. “We all know that there’s so many other moments where the cards don’t fall that way. We work on crashing in to goal, and there are times when athletes will hesitate.
“Those are the things that happen when you put in that effort throughout the whole year. She puts in that intensity, and then in those moments where you have to be in the right place and hit it spot-on, that’s what happens.”
Rakers has been spot-on throughout her four years with the Bison, accumulating career totals of 73 goals and 25 assists in soccer as well as 1,130 points and more than 300 assists, rebounds and steals in basketball. In addition to last year’s state soccer championship, she was a regular member of the playing rotation for Flatirons Academy’s 2022 state championship basketball team as a freshman.
This spring she has 14 goals and six assists for a Bison team that is 8-2-2 overall and was ranked No. 7 in 2A in the CHSAA rankings released Monday.
The Bison, quarterfinalists in both 2022 and 2023 before breaking through for the title last season, are hopeful of another deep run when postseason play kicks off across the state, with 5A opening play on May 6, 2A and 4A on May 7 and 3A on May 8.
Winning last year’s title gives the Bison something tangible to work towards.
“It puts it in perspective for us, that we have the skill set that we could possibly win a state championship,” Rakers said. “We’ve talked about working hard in practice and making every rep count, really being there mentally for practices and games. The fact we’ve won a state championship has made everyone work harder, because we know that we could possibly get there again.”
Despite her place in history, Rakers said she doesn’t spend much time reflecting on her championship-clinching goal.
“It’s a fun memory,” she said. “But I don’t always think about it. I remember the first week after the championship I would think, ‘Wow, we just did that.’”
Rakers, who scored twice in the championship game, finished 2024 with 24 goals and 10 assists and was named the 2A Player of the Year.
“She’s explosive,” Downey said. “People watch her and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, where did she come from?’ She’s really good at finding her positioning and spacing and listening to coaches about where we want her to start for her runs. And the last two years especially she’s really gained an understanding on the timing of the runs. That comes with experience.”
In college, though, she’ll play basketball at MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), an NAIA power.
“I do like basketball better,” Rakers said. “But I’ve played soccer just as long and I enjoy it.”
In basketball, she’s been coached by her father, Eric. The Bison followed up the 2022 title with a trip to the semifinals in both 2023 and 2024 and reached the round of 16 this past season.
“Playing with my dad is mostly fun – there are moments when we get frustrated with each other,” Rakers said, smiling. “But it’s not that bad, actually. Playing for Mrs. Downey, I enjoy that, too.”
While focusing on nursing for her career path, Rakers will concentrate on just one sport in college. But her time working on two sports has paid off.
“Basketball is a very skill-heavy sport, where you can put in hours of repetition,” Downey said. “Soccer is a sport where there’s obviously skill, but it’s also quite a bit of an art. And then there’s soccer IQ, and basketball helps her quite a bit with her positioning, seeing passing angles. … She’s always thinking about the next move.”
A two-time 2A honorable mention all-state selection in basketball, Rakers has played both guard positions.
“I don’t have much of a shot, honestly,” she said. “I just drive. And I play good defense. Playing point guard for my high school team was really fun. It helped me step up in a leadership role for my team.”
Before that, though, comes the rest of the soccer season.
The Bison had five senior starters from last season graduate, and have four freshmen on varsity this year.
“There was a lot of leadership there, and a lot of investment in the program,” Downey said. “They made it what it was. Knowing that we were going to lose them, we were training some different players into certain positions and making some shifts, even last year. And this year we have four freshmen on our varsity team and they all add some great skill and bring something unique and special to our squad. Every year you lose some great strengths and you gain some great strengths.”
Said Rakers: “This season is going pretty well. We’ve had a few games where we learned that we needed to shore up a few things, but I think we’re doing well so far.
“I had to adjust to where everyone is playing on the field, and with the team being so big (36 players from grades 9 through 12), you have to really try to meet the new players and that’s always fun.”