Roaring Fork Rams Fall in 3A Soccer Semifinals

Aspen —"Semifinals for a public school in the (Class) 3A is a no small achievement."

Nick Forbes said that about his Roaring Fork High School boys soccer team. He meant it. The Rams just lost their season, but they left the state tournament with a 15-3-1 record and a third semifinal appearance in this decade.

The No. 3 seed Rams fell 1-0 to No. 2 DSST: Conservatory Green in Lakewood Wednesday night. It wasn’t a blowout. It was a single, ugly mistake that ended three years of building.

The Rams entered the game wounded. Senior defender Michael Parada sat out after a red card in Saturday’s quarterfinal win over Eagle Ridge Academy. Randy Candela, who also got ejected that same night, was cleared to play after a successful appeal. But the most significant absence wasn’t on the field. It was Forbes, who took a red card in that same quarterfinal matchup and watched from the sideline.

Forbes acknowledged the team had to adapt. “As a team in the playoffs, you have got to overcome those kinds of things,” he wrote in the Aspen Times. “And this team turned out to be one step too far for us.”

The first half was a stalemate. 0-0. Then, about 15 minutes into the second half, Conservatory Green hit the back of the net. It came off a free kick. A second-chance opportunity. The Rams lost focus on the “second phase” of the set piece, Forbes explained. One second of disorganization. One great play by a Hornet. Game over.

Forbes called the senior class one of his favorite groups to coach. They’ve been building toward this moment for three years. With 12 seniors on the roster, their high school careers are over. The team faces a significant changeover next season.

But Forbes isn’t worried about the void. He points to a “great freshman class” and strong leadership from juniors and sophomores who stepped up when the seniors were gone. “We have a huge head start because we’ve already got them the experience of semifinals,” he said.

The quarterfinal win over Eagle Ridge Academy in Carbondale remains the season’s highlight for Forbes. The Rams overcame a two-man disadvantage and a goal deficit to score a last-minute winner. “I’ve never seen that at any level in any soccer game,” he said.

While the Rams’ run is done, other Roaring Fork Valley teams are still playing. Basalt football heads to the quarterfinals.

The Aspen Times also reported on Aspen High School volleyball, which “stood tall in the middle of its opening game” at the Class 3A state tournament on Thursday before falling short. The report cut off there, leaving the final score and opponent details unconfirmed in the excerpt provided.

For the Rams, the season is a footnote now. A proud one, but a footnote. The next chapter starts with freshmen and sophomores who watched the seniors win in Lakewood. They know what it takes to get there.

The scoreboard says 1-0. The record says 15-3-1. The next season starts now.