Preps

Right: Regis Jesuit’s Jovany Espinoza, who would eventually score the game-winning goal in overtime, heads a ball that Grandview’s Ryan Williams plays back during the Raiders’ 3-2 win over the Wolves Sept. 8.

Middle: Cherokee Trail keeper Colin Starr, left, and Amman Muzaffar celebrate after the Cougars’ 2-1 win at Rangeview Sept. 10 in a game in which it rallied from a goal deficit while down a player.

Below: Ulises Quezada (7) and the Aurora Central boys soccer team outlasted Smoky Hill in overtime as part of a 2-1 start for the Trojans, up a few minutes later when a Grandview own goal made it a 2-2 tie.

It has been interesting start to the 2022 season on the boys soccer pitch for Aurora team, which has a whole are having the most early success of local fall prep sports.

Three teams appear in CHSAANow.com’s most recently Class 5A coaches poll — Cherokee Trail at No. 5, Regis Jesuit at No. 9 and Rangeview at No. 10 — while Grandview, Aurora Central and Overland all received votes.

Regis Jesuit — which had its chances in its season opener, which was a 1-1 tie against then top-ranked Boulder — kept pressing and came all the way off the mat to win when senior Jovany Espinoza settled a ball with his back to the goal, turned and volleyed a shot into the top corner.

It was the type of performance that both teams said they would take a lot from going forward.

Boys Soccer

Local teams have sharpened each other with some recent non-conference tests that could serve all of them well in approaching league play and potentially in the postseason as well.

Another intense local battle took place Sept. 10 at Rangeview, where the homestanding Raiders — who were off to a 5-0 start — got up early in a physical battle with visiting Cherokee Trail on a goal by Jose Rocha.