A soccer program at Northfield High School did not exist five years ago.
Yet last fall, the boys soccer team completed one of the most memorable seasons in Colorado history. In what was just the fourth season for the young program, the Nighthawks completed a perfect 20-0 campaign en route to their first Class 4A state championship. Six months later, their girls soccer team completed the same feat when they were also crowned state champions for the first time, capping off an undefeated season.
This fall, senior Jack Freimann and the Nighthawks will try to defend their state title in a community that is still feeling the championship fever from the previous school year.
“We take that momentum,” Freimann said at the Broncos/CHSAA Fall Sports High School Media Day. “But at the same time, we have a new season. We lost twelve seniors, so we’re not rebuilding but we’re in a stage right now where we’re tuning the fine things and the chemistry is getting better. That momentum is a confidence booster.”
Northfield will be without Moises Inda, who scored a team-high 26 goals last season, including the game-winner in the state championship, along with other key pieces like goalkeeper Alex Witzel and forward Max Garfield, but the Nighthawks still feel that they have the talent to make another deep postseason run.
While the Nighthawks will try to find their way back to Switchbacks Weidner Field in Colorado Springs later this fall, the site of the state championship games this season, they find extra motivation being able to look at Dicks Sporting Goods Park, the home of the Colorado Rapids, every day at practice.
“Dicks Sporting Goods Park is right behind Northfield, we look at that every day that we train,” Freimann said of the grounds that lie just about a mile away from the school’s campus. “It’s super special to have that field right there.”
The title defense begins on Saturday morning for the Nighthawks when they travel to Golden, before their home opener against the Holly Family on Aug. 24. The Nighthawks will host Mullen in a state championship rematch on Friday, Sept. 9, before starting their league schedule that becomes more competitive every season.
“[Winning state] gave Denver Public Schools some respect,” Freimann added. “If you see a DPS team on your schedule now, you have fear. We have the potential to beat you.”
While it is still unclear if the Northfield players will dye their hair gold again this season, Freimann and the Nighthawks are excited to get back to the pitch to start another championship campaign.