Roaring Fork High School’s boys soccer team started off on the right foot in the 3A Western Slope League opener at Rifle last week, handing the previously undefeated Bears their first loss of the season.
With the score tied at 1-1 midway through the second half of play on Thursday, Sept. 12, Rams sophomore Cal Stone scored in the 74th minute to give Roaring Fork a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
It was a big early season win for the Rams against a league opponent that made it all the way to the 3A state semifinals last year.
“We played an organized game and with trust that our teammates would take care of their jobs,” Roaring Fork head coach Nick Forbes said, reflecting back on the game on Monday. “We matched a physical and talented team in all areas and allowed ourselves to express our own strengths.”
The Rams struck first in the 25th minute of play when senior Phillipe Huang took the pass from junior Salbador Vasquez near midfield and booted a high archer over the head of Rifle goalkeeper Jefferson Torres.
Ten minutes later, Rifle senior Yahir Marquez connected on a long shot of his own from outside the box that went over the hands of the Rams’ keeper, junior Keven Cisneros, tying it up.
The score would stand until Stone found an opening from the left side and pushed his shot past Torres for the Roaring Fork lead, and ultimately the win.
“This is a huge win for a team that’s still finding its identity against a very strong opponent,” Forbes said. “Getting a win here this early in the season is a great indication of how far we can go as a team.”
The Rams improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in league play with the win, as they prepare to host their newest league foe, Steamboat Springs (2-2, 1-0), at 6pm Thursday, Sept. 19, at Rams Field. The Sailors dropped down from the 4A ranks this season to play in the 3A WSL.
Volleyball
Playing up in competition, the Lady Rams volleyball team fell to Class 5A Grand Junction 3-0 at home on Thursday, Sept. 12.
The Tigers won by set scores of 25-16, 25-13, 25-19 to claim the non-league win over Roaring Fork.
With three of its six losses this season coming to 4A/5A opponents, the Rams (2-6, 0-1) are hoping that experience pays off as they get ready for a series of 3A WSL games.
First up in this next slate of games is the Coal Ridge Titans (2-7, 1-2), who come to Carbondale for a 6:30pm match this Thursday, Sept. 19. The Rams then host league foe Olathe at 6:30pm on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Football
The Rams ended up being idle this past week after Del Norte had to forfeit its Saturday, Sept. 14
contest that was slated to be played in Carbondale. Roaring Fork (2-1) now travels to play Prospect Ridge Academy in Broomfield this Saturday, Sept. 21
(12pm game time), ahead of the Rams Homecoming contest against Grand Valley (7pm Friday, Oct. 4 at Rams Field).
Softball
The combined Basalt High School girls softball team includes four Roaring Fork student-athletes on its roster this season — junior Jenna Ostberg, sophomore Zoe Kincade and freshmen Sydney Ostberg and Yana Irigoyen Esquivel.
The team saw quite a bit of action over the past week, scoring a 21-6 win at home against Aspen on Sept. 10, before dropping a pair of games, 12-2 to Durango and 18-3 to Montezuma-Cortez, during a swing to the southwestern part of Colorado on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 13-14.
Games stats had not been posted to Maxpreps Colorado as of Monday.
The Longhorns (4-9 overall, 1-5 in 3A WSL play) were to host Battle Mountain on Tuesday this week and were set to travel to Montrose on Thursday.