TCA claims first Region 2 boys' soccer league title with 8-1 rout of CSCS

At long last, the boys’ soccer team at The Classical Academy has a league championship.

The Pikes Peak 3A No. 1 Titans scored early and often in an 8-1 victory over Colorado Springs Christian School at the Four-Diamond Sports Complex on Tuesday, clinching the team’s first Region 2 league title in the process. Senior Evan Young had a hat trick for the Titans (14-1, 5-0), who would have had to rely on tiebreakers to separate themselves from CSCS and Salida if they had fallen to the Lions (7-7, 3-2).

TCA left nothing to chance.

Young made it 1-0 just 5:03 into the game, and the Titans led 3-0 before Conner Stephens got CSCS on the board with a goal with 12:08 remaining in the first half. Nate Ziegler’s second goal of the game with 9 minutes left in the opening half put TCA up 5-1.

Young added a pair of goals late in the second half, with Andrew Skinner scoring the eighth and final tally with 4:36 on the clock. Seniors Peter Tonsits and Markus Kolozsy also found the net for TCA.

It was a complete victory for the Titans, who lost to CSCS last year in a battle for the league crown.

“I’m really pleased with the way they finished (the regular season) today,” TCA coach Blake Galvin said. “We played very well overall — passed and moved the ball well — so I was very pleased with our performance.”

Young, who ranks in the top 10 in the state among 3A players in points scored, also had an assist as the Titans pushed their season goal advantage to 76-8.

“It’s a great feeling and is a good accomplishment,” Young said of the league title. “The playoffs are always tough, because any team can beat any team at any time. We need to keep our goal in mind, which is winning a state championship.”

Despite the loss, CSCS coach Jason Rollins was proud of what his young team accomplished this season.

“This was a year where we grew and developed as a team,” Rollins said. “This score doesn’t really represent what we’re capable of doing. I’m excited about next year, and we’re going to work very hard in the offseason.”

Now the real work begins for TCA, which will find out its seeding in the 32-team state tournament Sunday.

“I told the guys, ‘Now it’s time for our second season to start,’” Galvin said. “Now the hard work starts, and it’s fun. I don’t think we’ve peaked yet, which is perfect.”