Defender earns league-, state-wide salutes
Reliable from start to finish of a fatigue-filled, resolve-testing soccer season, Kristianna Brann was a rock upon which new head coach Tori Burch could attempt to build a foundation for future Ignacio squads.
Used primarily as a defender/midfielder, the recently graduated senior was named not only First Team All-Intermountain (South) for 2024, but also received Honorable Mention All-2A distinction just a few days after Westminster-based Flatirons Academy’s 2-1 victory over Buena Vista in the State Championship, played Wednesday evening, May 22, in Commerce City at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.
The 16-team State Tournament bracket’s No. 1 seed, FA improved to 16-1-1 overall; 7-seed BVHS slipped to 14-4-0.
Counting their final-day forfeit to league champ Crested Butte Community School, Ignacio ended up 1-14-0 overall and 1-6-0 in league – the only win coming at the expense of Del Norte (1-12-0, 0-4-0), playing an unbalanced league schedule.
IHS senior defender Jillian Middlebrook and sophomore goalkeeper Bella Lorenzini each received Second Team All-League praise.
CBCS senior center midfielder Leigh Harpel was voted First Team All-League as well as the Intermountain-South’s Player-of-the-Year (and First Team All-2A to boot) for helping the Lady Titans go 7-0-0 in league play and finish 15-3-1 overall after falling 3-2 to FA in the State semifinals. The playoffs’ initial No. 4 seed, Crested Butte – guided by IM-South Coach-of-the-Year Tom Lewis – had blanked No. 13 Denver Rocky Mountain Lutheran 8-nil in the opening Round-of-16, then No. 5 Loveland Classical Academy 5-nil in the Great Eight.
The IM-South’s Goalie-of-the-Year award, as well as First Team All-League (and All-2A) status, went to Telluride senior Jayden Fortner, despite the on-the-bubble Lady Miners’ postseason hopes being popped by a 7-1 loss to CBCS in a final-day match – arranged after IHS forfeited to Crested Butte and DNHS to Telluride – not impacting the circuit’s standings. THS went 4-3-0 in league and ended up 6-8-1 overall.
Also posting a 4-3-0 league record, Ridgway did advance to the State Tournament and was initially seeded 14th. The Lady Demons, however, were promptly eliminated 8-1 by 3-seed Highlands Ranch SkyView Academy and finished 8-6-0 overall.
MORE FIRST TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
Crested Butte – Molly Grace Miller (soph., forward; Honorable Mention All-2A), Nora Thomes (soph., center midfielder; Honorable Mention All-2A), Dakota Redden (jr., defender; Second Team All-2A); Ridgway – Addy Gardiner (soph., midfielder), Sophia Forrest (soph., midfielder), Sophia Scranton (soph., defender); Telluride – Tjarn Lyons (jr., defender).
MORE SECOND TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
CBCS – Calla Fenlon (fr., left wing), senior Sawyer Ezzell (sr., defender; Honorable Mention All-2A); RHS – Neva Hines (jr., defender), Madi Miller (jr., defender); THS – Mae Scarborough (jr., forward), Emma Reggiannini (jr., midfielder).
EXTRA CREDIT: Del Norte senior goalie Peytin Neal was chosen to play in the Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games’ soccer feature Thursday evening, June 13, at CSU-Pueblo’s Art & Lorraine Gonzales Stadium. Oddly, no other Intermountain-South players were (as of press time) chosen.