High school boys soccer: American Fork defeats Bingham and repeats as 6A champion, just as it did 41 years ago

In 1983, Utah witnessed its first-ever season of sanctioned high school boys soccer.

And in its first two years of competition, American Fork repeated as 3A state champions.

Winning back-to-back state championships is an uncommon event in boys soccer. Despite being the first program to achieve it, the Cavemen did not see another championship for 40 years.

Last year, American Fork raised the 6A trophy with a 1-0 win over Farmington. Once it ended the 40-year drought, American Fork wanted to repeat, just as the 1984 team did.

The season-long quest finally came to a successful end Thursday as the Cavemen earned a gritty 1-0 victory over Bingham for the back-to-back 6A state title.

“There’s no better feeling,” said American Fork head coach Casey Waldron. “We talked about it last year — 40 years in the making of getting another championship. 40 years ago they went back-to-back as well. So, this is very fitting, very special for us.”

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American Fork had to win differently than it did last year.

For the Cavemen, last season was about proving themselves as a title threat. They successfully did so, but that meant they had a target on their back in every game all year.

American Fork’s senior scoring trio of Preston Osborne, Miller Hall and Lewis Knecht led the team all season, but they were also hunted all season. Defenses played them physically, especially 2024 Mr. Soccer recipient Knecht.

“Our boys, they come across as very nice kids and they are off the field, but when something happens when they step on the pitch, they flip that switch,” Waldron said. “They’re able to absorb that physicality from any team.”

American Fork’s ability to stay focused through physical games has been an asset all year, and especially in the chippy championship game with Bingham.

The Miners did not play like you’d expect from a 13 seed in the state tournament. They pressured the Cavemen defense through all 80 minutes.

However, it was American Fork who struck first in the 29th minute. Demitri Larsen played a ball forward to Knecht and he found the back of the net for the go-ahead goal.

Despite leading the team with 24 goals on the season, Knecht struggled to score in the state tournament. An especially frustrating semifinal performance had Knecht motivated for Thursday’s championship game.

“It felt great because I went home that day and I had some friends that were like, ‘We haven’t seen you score in a few games,’” Knecht said. “I took that to heart and I said, ‘I’ve got to bag one in the finals. I’ve never done it before.’ I’m just glad I’m here and this team, they’re amazing.”

While American Fork recorded the shutout win, Bingham made sure it had to earn it. The Miners applied pressure down to the literal last second.

Bingham’s offense was fouled with only 30 seconds left, and Eli Laroza stepped up and delivered a shot on frame. The Cavemen defense blocked it, but Bingham rushed for a corner kick. Once again, the defense got the stop during the 10-second countdown.

American Fork keeper Jackson Dingus helped secure the shutout, which was the team’s first of the post season.

“To get a clean sheet is something we always strive to do,” Waldron said. “Today in the championship game, to have a clean sheet, our keepers, credit to them. Our guys tucking in and being compact in the middle really got us there.”

American Fork joins a small group of only a handful of schools who have won consecutive championships more than once.

“You get to that Mount Everest, and then you got to return and you got to do something different and something a little more special,” Waldron said of repeating as state champs. “It’s super hard. We went back and looked at all the stats and there’s been very few schools who have been able to do that, so it’s just an awesome, incredible feeling.”