May 18—ROCK SPRINGS — Jackson plays in the Class 4A boys soccer state championship game, outscoring opponents 134-3 on the season, including 7-0 in the state tournament.
That offensive power proved too much for Cheyenne Central, as the Broncs scored three goals in the first half to secure a 4-0 victory and claim the 4A state championship.
“We played a very emotional game (Friday), playing like we were going into overtime and a shootout,” Indians manager Dirk Dykstaal said. “We came out and showed what we were capable of. (Jackson) had an unbelievable first touch and possessed the ball very well, giving us more width than normal. .”
“…That's OK. They're a really good team, really well-coached (and deserved to win). We still have a mission.”
Central entered the game knowing that its defense, which had been strong all year, would face a big test. But in the first half, the Indians entered the game with the state's two leading scorers.
Auggie Hoelscher and Teddy Opler scored three goals in the first half alone. Opler took the lead in the fourth minute for the Broncs, taking advantage of an Indians turnover.
Hoelscher scored the next two goals for Jackson, the 17th scoring from a corner kick deflection and the 39th from a rebound.
“We stuck to our game plan of making small passes and taking shots,” Opler said. “We played really fast, and that's how we were able to (break down Central's defense).”
Central had two great scoring chances in the first half, but couldn't capitalize on either. In the 15th minute, Logan Custis' goal was ruled out for offside. Late in the second half, Sammy Shumway got a tight goal from freshman keeper Alexi Balogh.
“There are always what-ifs, and it's definitely a change in momentum,” Dijkstall said. “If any of those go in, we're back to 1-1 and it's a completely different game. The knife was the third of the first half. It's really hard to come back in the first half.”
Opler scored a free kick in the 45th minute to make it 4-0 and end the game. That hill proved to be too high for the Indians to climb, as they were unable to generate more than two shots on goal in the final 40 minutes.
“Jackson is a very good team and they played the right way,” junior Nate Brenchley said. “I tried my best, but I was unlucky (running out of gas).
“…They kept possession of the ball and that's what we try to do. But they did it better than us tonight.”
Despite the loss, Dykstaal said he is proud of what Central has accomplished in his first two seasons at the helm. The Indians haven't gotten over the hump yet, but they have won back-to-back conference titles and have only lost a handful of games.
But what he's most proud of transcends disciplines.
“I'm very proud of the stand-up guys they've become,” Dykstaal said. “They're all going to be very successful in life. I can't wait to see what they're doing in 20 years.”
WyoSports reporter Austin Edmonds contributed to this article.
Jackson 4, Central 0
Halftime: Jackson 3-0.
Goals: Jackson, Opler (no assist), 4. Jackson, Hoelscher (Opler), 17. Jackson, Hoelscher (no assist), 39. Jackson, Opler (free kick), 45.
Shots: Jackson 19, Central 5. Shots on goal: Jackson 9, Central 3. Saves: Jackson 3 (Balogh), Central 5 (Somerset).
Corner kicks: Central 4, Jackson 6. Offside: Central 2, Jackson 1. Fouls: Jackson 7, Central 11. Yellow cards: Jackson 2 (Vargas, 15, Conde, 66), Central 1 (Kohn-LeBeaumont, 65).
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Matt Atencio covers prep sports in Laramie County for WyoSports. He can be reached at matencio@wyosports.net. Follow @MattAtencio5 on X.