Boys soccer comes out of the gate strong with a home opener win

Haley Rockwell • September 7, 2017

After making Fossil Ridge High School history and defying all odds in the 2016 5A State Tournament, the Sabercats are looking to have another successful year and they did just that on Tuesday, September 5. In an exciting and competitive match between Fossil and Ralston Valley, the 5-1 win went to the Sabercats.

The starting 11 for Fossil anxiously awaited the first whistle, bouncing on their toes after lining up. The ref signalled the start of the game and the Sabercats quickly gained possession that advanced them to goal. The ball was in Ralston Valley’s defensive half for a majority of the game, Fossil creating many scoring opportunities.

The boys celebrate the first goal of the season, finished by Seth Anderson. Photo Credit: Ayden Adair

8 minutes into the game, senior, Seth Anderson hammered in a volley off of a corner struck by junior, Danny Bostock. “It felt really good to score the first game of the season for this team. I was super excited and it was fun to see it fire up the team to score the next four goals and win our first game.”

Senior, Seth Anderson shifts to help Connor

Not even 5 minutes after Anderson’s goal, senior, Blair Durand took on the Ralston Valley keeper 1v1 and kept his composure to put the ball in the back of the net. Fossil’s lead increased to 2-0 with more than 30 minutes left in the first half, a great way to start the game.

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Keeper, Logan Wette dives to save the one and only PK of the night. Photo Credit Ayden Adair

With only 9 minutes left in the first half, Ralston Valley was able to get through Fossil’s power house defense and have possession inside, keeper, Logan Wette’s box. The forward for the Mustangs got taken down and a PK was issued against the Sabercats. A poorly struck shot enabled Wette enough time to make a dive in the correct direction and hold the score to a 2-0 lead over Ralston Valley.

The Sabercats quickly gained control back of the game and continued to go at Ralston Valley’s back line. Durand’s quickness and skillful footwork lead him to his second goal of the evening after taking the keeper on 1v1, again, and shooting across his body to find the side netting.

David Wilhelm celebrates his PK finish that put the Sabercats up 4-0 against Ralston Valley. Photo Credit: Ayden Adair

As the half was winding down, the Sabercats held a 3-0 win over the Mustangs. However, Fossil wasn’t ending the first half without scoring another goal. With less than 1 minute left in the half, Cade Peters got fouled in the box and the Sabercats were issued a PK. Junior, David Wilhelm stepped up the take the kick and slipped it past the keeper, making the score 4-0 going into halftime.

Quincy Carlton celebrates Fossil’s fifth goal that secured the 5-1 win over Ralston Valley. Photo Credit: Mrs. Carlton

The second half consisted of more equal possession by each team and Ralston Valley creating more scoring opportunities than in the first half. With 26:25 left in the game, the Mustangs put one away to make the score gap 4-1. The Sabercats held on as the game began to lose its intensity and competitiveness but they wanted to end the night with a bang. Senior, Quincy Carlton made it happen by scoring another goal for Fossil and ending the season opener with a 5-1 win over Ralston Valley.

Junior, Tyler Hause wins the ball out of the air off a punt from the Ralston Valley keeper. Photo Credit: Haley Rockwell

The boys showed promise for the rest of the season. Come out and support the team as they look to have yet another successful year.

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About the Contributor

Haley Rockwell, Sports Editor

Senior Haley Rockwell is a dynamic character in the Fossil Ridge setting, bringing many dimensions to Etched in Stone as well as everything else she is involved in. Her in-depth athletic background enables her to contribute accurate stories on the many sports teams that compete for Fossil, making her leadership of sporting event coverage on the Etched in Stone publication crew. “I’m an athlete, so I’m involved in a lot of sports, and I think that gives me an advantage writing about it since I’m so passionate about it”, she said. As an ambitious soccer player, talented photographer, and member of the journalism program for the past three (now four) years , dedication is definitely a quality that Haley never fails to bring to the table. In fact, her hard work and dedication has earned her commitment to the University of Northern Colorado for soccer, where she is thinking about majoring in business with a minor in journalism. “Journalism has been a big part of my life for the past four years, so I want to continue to pursue it if I can!” she exclaimed.

Apart from being involved in journalism, athletics, and demanding academics, Haley is very interested in the arts. Alongside photography, she also finds peace in the relaxing qualities that drawing offers. “If I need something to escape from the stress of school and soccer, I’ll go draw instead”, she explained. The subject that she most frequently captures in her artwork are wolves, which she considers to be her personal spirit animal. A lover of animals, Haley also has a black cat at home named Shay. She is the oldest of two sisters, and knows very well the responsibilities of taking the lead and making crucial decisions. Haley’s talents are bound to pave a pathway that will take her far, no matter where she chooses to travel. Her strong sense of individuality, hard work, and passion are essential tools that will lead her to a bright and prosperous future.