There is nothing more crushing in sports than an overtime loss, especially one that happens in the blink of an eye. 

There’s no doubt Creek was an underdog heading into their final match. Broomfield boasted a 14-4 record this year, gaining them the 2 seed spot and home field advantage. Creek was up for the challenge. By halftime neither team had scored, and after the 90 minute mark the score was even at 1-1. After going into double overtime, Creek was defeated 2-1.

The close match came as no surprise to Junior Captain Robbie Bailey. The possibility of this match being the seniors last, put extra weight on the outcome. 

“Going into the game just makes you wanna fight for everything you have,” Bailey said. 

The match was concluded by an opposing corner kick, when a Broomfield player leaped and headed the ball into the back of the goal. A defeating ending to a long fought season. 

Head Coach Wilmer Barrera wanted to end the season on a positive note.“I couldn’t ask more from the boys.. They should be proud,” Barrera said. 

Barrera emphasized that sometimes that’s just the nature of the sport. There are games when a team can be at its best, and still walk away with the loss. Still there was heavy emotion in the air. 

“The next day I saw one of my players, and the first thing I saw was still crying. The best thing I could do was just give him a hug and support,” Barrera said. 

The program now shifts its focus to next year. With only 2 starters being seniors this year, the future is bright for the team. The team this year had a good mixture of sophomores and juniors, a perfect recipe for a bounceback year. Senior Captain Reid Schineder spoke to the leadership of Robbie Bailey, who will be a Senior Captain next year. 

“I feel like they’re gonna go pretty far next year with him,” Schneider said. 

Bailey also feels confident with Barrera at the helm. Barrera’s aggressive but encouraging coaching style pushes his players to be the best version of themselves. His belief is that a strong player is defined through his resilience, and the ability to learn from mistakes. Barrera has his sights set high for this young team.

“I told the boys, we should not be afraid to succeed. ‘Don’t be afraid of the pressure. Okay, we got to the Sweet 16, we got to go higher now,'” Barrera said.

The team has a championship just within reach. And with a talented young team and an experienced coach, it is only a matter of time.

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