ATHLETES LEARNING VALUABLE LESSONS...... PAGES 10

September 15, 2022

Pikes Peak Bulletin 11 Soccer team drops first games of the season

By Daniel Mohrmann

In the early stages of the season, Manitou Springs boys soccer coach Ben Mack identified Vanguard as one of the tougher teams that his Mustangs would face this year.

That statement held true as the Coursers became the first team to get the better of the Mustangs in a 3-2 game on Sept. 8 at Richardson Field.

“I was happy with it,” Mack said. “Coming in, we knew they would be good and they were. We knew it was going to be a close game and it was. What I was most impressed about was that we battled back twice.”

The Coursers jumped ahead of the Mustangs (4-2 overall) on two occasions, but Manitou showed grit and was able to pull even, thanks to goals from Gavin Smith and Evan Yount. Vanguard added a third goal in the second half of the game, but the Mustangs couldn’t find an equalizer for that one.

The loss snapped the Mustangs’ four-game winning streak, but served as a good learning tool to apply as they look to make improvements through the regular season.

“Coming back is huge, especially in soccer,” Smith said. “Every goal brings momentum towards you and, if we had come out on top, that would’ve been awesome. But now that we know we can battle back, it shows in more important games that we can come out and win.”

They faced another tough game on Sept. 13 as they took on Thomas MacLaren, the top-ranked team in this week’s CHSAANow.com poll.

The Mustangs lost that game 3-0 and Mack thinks this stretch of games will truly prepare the Mustangs for the most crucial matchups they’ll see at the end of the season.

“That resiliency piece, we’re going to figure out how to win those close ones or we’re not,” Mack said. “I know we’re going to put up a dogfight in these next few games and how we bounce back will tell us a lot.”

Coming back is huge, especially in soccer.

— Gavin Smith Photo by Bryan Oller Mustang Evan Yount races to the ball before a Vanguard player can get to it.

Manitou squeaks by Valley, thanks to special teams

By Daniel Mohrmann

Sometimes it just takes one play to light a spark.

For the Manitou Springs football team, that play came on special teams and it was as timely as anyone could’ve hoped for. Valley lined up for a field goal but sophomore Logan Moore jumped through the barricade of blockers, knocked down the kick and scooped up the loose ball, returning it for a touchdown.

The Mustangs battled the rest of the night and came away with a 36-35 win on the road for their first victory of the season.

“It really turned the game around,” Moore said. “It gave us hope that we had lost. It was hope that we needed.”

It was nearly a carbon copy of what had happened to the Mustangs (1-1 overall) in Week 1. They had built a big lead in the first half and watch as it whittled away in the second.

Moore found the end zone for the second time of the night on the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but the close call is something that the team as a whole would like to eliminate in the coming weeks.

“We got off to a great start and we played a great first half,” coach Stu Jeck said. “Unlike last week, we took a step in the right direction.

“It’s a familiar place we’ve been in this year and even stretching back to last year. We’d have the lead, give up the lead and we lose. Finding a way to win is a step in the right direction.”

Tyler Maloney scored three touchdowns on the night to help get the Mustangs the lead, but it was the two that Moore scored that proved to be the difference in the end. Getting the win can be a huge boost for the team as the Mustangs look to close out their non-league schedule over the next two weeks the same way. “These next two are really important for us,” Jeck said. “It’s always the next one up. We have to keep doing what we’re doing, keep getting better and keep playing disciplined football.” The Mustangs travel to Rocky Ford on Friday, Sept. 16, and are on the road Sept. 24 against Prospect Ridge Academy in Broomfield. They host Woodland Park on Sept. 30 for the homecoming game.

It gave us hope that we had lost. — Logan Moore

Standout Mustangs

Tyler Maloney (football): Scored three touchdowns in Manitou’s win over Valley. Ayla Flett (volleyball): Totaled 14 kills in three matches at the Jefferson Academy Tournament. Jack Clifford (boys golf): Shot a team-best 96 at the final Tri-Peaks Tournament of the season.