High school boys soccer: Wasatch looks to three-peat in 2023 5A title rematch with Alta

Wasatch and Alta picked up semifinal wins at Zions Bank Stadium on Monday to clinch their spot in Thursday’s 5A state championship game.

The opening half-hour of the No. 1 East vs. No. 4 Wasatch semifinal was uneventful, possibly by design as both teams settled in waiting for their moment. Wasatch applied modest pressure, but East’s back line held strong, limiting any real danger. That changed in the 36th minute when Bode Heelis was taken down in the box, earning a penalty.

Heelis calmly stepped up and slotted the shot low into the right corner, giving the Wasps a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.

The second half kicked off with immediate drama. Wasatch sent a long ball deep into East territory that bounced through several players near the top of the box. Amid the scramble, the ball slipped free and landed at the feet of Jayden Cosper. Without hesitation, Cosper settled it and fired a low left-footed shot that skipped into the back of the net, before the second-half clock had even begun to run on the main scoreboard.

1 of 50

2 of 50

3 of 50

4 of 50

5 of 50

6 of 50

7 of 50

8 of 50

9 of 50

10 of 50

11 of 50

12 of 50

13 of 50

14 of 50

15 of 50

16 of 50

17 of 50

18 of 50

19 of 50

20 of 50

21 of 50

22 of 50

23 of 50

24 of 50

25 of 50

26 of 50

27 of 50

28 of 50

29 of 50

30 of 50

31 of 50

32 of 50

33 of 50

34 of 50

35 of 50

36 of 50

37 of 50

38 of 50

39 of 50

40 of 50

41 of 50

42 of 50

43 of 50

44 of 50

45 of 50

46 of 50

47 of 50

48 of 50

49 of 50

50 of 50

The quick strike stunned East and gave Wasatch a commanding 2-0 lead.

“We really struggled in the first half, we were able to pick it up in the second. Bode was able to cause some havoc, when it popped back to me, I was able to take a touch, hit a volley and get it in. After that we just grinded and were able to come out on top,” said Cosper, describing the goal that doubled Wasatch’s lead.

East ramped up the intensity for the remainder of the match, applying relentless pressure on the Wasatch back line. Ángel Mendoza was at the center of it all, generating several looks at goal, including a brilliant strike in the 58th minute. The opportunity came after Wasatch failed to advance a goal kick, and Mendoza seized on the mistake with a composed finish to cut the deficit to 2-1.

With time running out, East earned one final chance in the 79th minute — a corner kick with everyone pushed forward. The service created chaos in front of goal, but Wasatch managed to clear it and quickly broke the other way. Jayden Cosper led the charge on a two-man breakaway with just a retreating goalie to beat and unselfishly left the ball for Dekker Runyan, who buried it to seal a 3-1 win and send the Wasps to their third consecutive 5A championship game.

“They didn’t have Jorge (Beltrán), who is one of the best players in the state. It hurt them. Manny (Enríquez_ did a great job stepping up — he was so good. But not having Jorge gave us an advantage. East is a great team,” said Wasatch coach Lance Cosper.

“We didn’t play our game how we wanted to, but in this environment, with the emotions getting wild, that happens. Jace (Kirkham), Ryland (Hickman_, and our defense really stepped up at the end. Now we just got to get healthy and be ready for Thursday.”

In the second semifinal, Alta took control from the opening whistle. The Hawks dominated the first half, generating several quality chances in open play and stacking up corner kicks along the way. But despite all their pressure and possession, they couldn’t break through, and the match went into halftime locked at 0-0.

“Semifinal games are always hard. You are playing against the best teams on a field wider and longer than you are used to — you can’t really practice for it. It is such a fun venue to play in. We wanted to take a deep breath and realized we just needed a last little piece to play with a little more heart,” said Alta coach Mackenzie Hyer, reflecting on the frustration of not scoring in the first half.

Things finally broke open early in the second half, as a scoreless match turned into a 3-0 Alta lead in just under three minutes.

After a series of threatening crosses and a close miss, the Hawks came right back. Deep inside the box, Dawson Barney slipped a lateral pass to Josh Glazier, who quickly found Beckham Butler just steps from the goal line. The final touch was an easy tap-in, more reminiscent of a rugby try than a typical soccer goal.

“I got the ball played into me behind, and it was a 50-50 ball. I was able to play it in, and the defender kicked it out. I ran through the box thinking again, ‘How did we miss that?’ but when I looked behind me, the ball had been passed back in to me and I tapped it in,” said Butler.

“Once the first goal went in, we really picked it up as a team and took advantage of our opportunities.”

Tanner Kunz quickly added a brace shortly after, scoring two beautiful goals set up by precise pushes and passes from Butler and Tyler Jordan.

It seemed like the Hawks had been off their rhythm all game, but suddenly everything clicked. Nine minutes later, Brady Christensen found the net as Alta kept the momentum, rolling to a 4-0 victory.“

The boys did a great job recommitting at halftime. They knew they were doing the right things. When it comes down to it in these high-pressure games, you just have to play with that heart—giving that extra tenth of a second effort and never quitting," said Hyer, who earned her 100th career win with the boys soccer team in the victory. “That defense made some great stops; those goals weren’t on the first shot. Bountiful is a great team, but we were able to catch them in those three minutes,”

“We want to celebrate this win. We’ve worked hard for this the whole season. Then we’ll get back to what we’ve been doing—practicing and getting ourselves prepared for an exciting opportunity on Thursday.”

No. 2 Alta will take on two-time defending champion No. 4 Wasatch on Thursday at 4 p.m. at America First Field. The last time the two teams played was in the 2023 5A Championship when the Wasps prevailed 4-2.