From the worst field in the state to the most prestigious field in the state, Maeser Prep’s soccer championship conquest is complete.
Maeser Prep dominated American Heritage in the second half of Saturday’s 2A state championship, scoring twice to pull away for the 3-1 victory as the Lindon charter school won its first state championship in school history — in any sport.
Coach Dustin Simmons has been the soccer coach at the school for every season since it opened, and he unequivocally said the home field his team plays and practices on is the worst in the state.
“Our field is horrible. It’s garbage, and I can say that because I installed that field along with another student,” said Simmons about helping with a student’s Eagle Scout project 15 years ago of installing sod.
“And so to be able to play on a place like this, with this environment for these boys, it’s a dream. They see it on TV,” said Simmons.
Playing at America First Field was only part of the dream. The bigger dream was winning the state championship. Two years ago Maeser Prep lost to juggernaut St. Joseph in the final, and a year ago it lost to American Heritage in the semis.
That semifinal loss helped paved the way for Saturday’s performance, because all year the players didn’t get caught looking ahead to what might’ve been. They focused on simple, daily tasks.
“This year, we really focused on the next game. We weren’t looking at the stars and tripping on our feet. It was just what’s the next game, focusing on our tasks,” said Simmons, whose players wrote reminder messages on athletic type on their wrists to keep them focused.
The biggest focused heading into the final was corralling American Heritage speedy striker Cael Tillman, who finished the season with 29 goals.
“We pulled our back line back a little bit and told our midfield to press their midfield really hard so they didn’t have time to play the ball they wanted to, to take him away,” said Simmons.
He believed his players did great job of that for 80 minutes, but Tillman still managed to score the game’s opening goal 17 minutes in on a corner kick from Alex Bay.
It was a dream start for American Heritage, which set out to avenge its penalty kick shootout loss to Rowland Hall in last year’s 2A championship game.
In an earlier meeting between these teams American Heritage scored first, and even led 2-0, but Maeser Prep stormed back to win 4-2. In similar fashion, the Patriots’ lead didn’t last long Saturday.
In the 27th minute, freshman Denzel Sono-Koree smashed home a rebounded shot from Sam Werner to level the score 1-1. Coach Simmons was giddy to see his team score such an important goal on the type of build-up play that they’ve been working on all season. He joked that Sono-Koree had missed that type of shot a dozen times.
The build-up involves driving down the line, and cutting it back in, and in that moment came off perfectly for the equalizing goal.
“But today, today when it mattered, he got it and just got us back in the game,” said Simmons.
With the game level coming out of halftime, Maeser Prep was on the front foot most of the second half, and it finally went ahead in the 60th minute on a goal from its super sub.
Jaden Garner received the ball with his back to goal about six yards off the post and then turned quickly to slip a right-footed shot off the finger tips of American Heritage’s diving keeper for the 2-1 lead.
“He’s our super sub. He scored the game winning goal for us in the quarterfinals against Waterford with five minutes left on a hustle play,” said Simmons of his senior.
“He doesn’t get a lot of minutes, I mean I think he got maybe 15 minutes today, but when he’s in, he’s deadly.”
In the 77th minute, Maeser Prep tacked on an insurance goal via Noah Johnson’s fourth goal of the season on a remarkable solo effect. After taking the ball away from an American Heritage player who’d stumbled on the ball, Johnson dribbled 70 yards past a couple of last ditch defenders and smashed home the shot for the 3-1 victory.
“This is the first UHSAA championship our schools has ever won. We’re only about 17 years old. I think all the students were here today,” said Simmons. “It’s just amazing.”