Last season, the Summit High School boys soccer team had one of the best seasons the program has had in the past 12 years. Not only did the team have more than 12 wins (13-4-2) for the first time since the fall of 2014 when they went 15-2-1, but the team also rolled to the Class 4A state semifinal match for the first time in recent history.

Summit would go on to lose 1-0 to Northfield High School in the state semifinal match, but the playoff experience set a new standard for the soccer program, one that is expected to act as a guiding light for this year’s team through the 2023 fall soccer season.

Much of the preparation for the fall began in the middle of the summer. New head coach JJ Bosgraaf organized kick around practices for players who were interested in trying out for the team at the beginning of August. 

“We have had kick arounds all this summer with usually 40 to 45 players showing up each day,” Bosgraaf said. “It was good. We hosted tryouts with 70 kids and now we are down to two teams.”

With a new head coach and the team graduating 11 seniors from last year, the Tigers are entering the 2023 fall soccer season in a bit of a transitional period. 

In terms of coaching, this year’s soccer team can expect more of the same. Not only did Bosgraaf serve as an assistant coach under former head coach Jotwan Daniels for the last two years, but he also has several years of experience coaching youth players in the Summit Strikers youth soccer program.

“I have lots of coaching experience, and I know how to get the best out of a team,” Bosgraaf said. “I contributed (to the success of the team) in the last two seasons. If we can rebuild quickly, build these boys into strong varsity players, then those results will follow. Hopefully we go again, far into the playoffs.”

The team may have graduated 11 seniors, but with a deep junior varsity program, those 11 spots have quickly been filled. The only difference between this year’s and last year’s team is that many of this season’s varsity players lack the experience that the 2022 team had in tight games and in the playoffs. 

Bosgraaf is hopeful that this experience will grow throughout the season. He thinks the team will go into the first few games of the season pretty green before slowly becoming seasoned veterans by the time the bigger games come around.

“We have definitely seen a transition from last year to this year,” Bosgraaf said. “There are eight to nine new players on the team. The beginning of the season will definitely be a little bit of a rebuild. Find out where we are strong and play our strengths.”

Bosgraaf will lean on several players this season for on-field performance and leadership. On the defensive side of the ball, Summit will look to seniors Jack Stafford and Jared Marcer. Both played significant varsity minutes last season and will aim to capitalize on that experience to lead the team’s defensive unit throughout the season. 

“They set a great example in behavior, good grades, attention, focus and are very good soccer players,” Bosgraaf said. 

The Tigers will also be led by juniors Reece Bosgraaf and Juan Varon, who will add depth to the team after being member’s of last year’s varsity team. 

Although the team may look a little bit different on the sidelines and on the pitch this fall, the team’s goals have remained the same. After reaching the playoffs last season, the team is hoping to make a second consecutive playoff berth in order to make a state playoff appearance the standard for the soccer program going forward. 

“We are going to be focusing on the same process that we followed last year,” JJ Bosgraaf said. “Working hard and coming with the attitude that you will improve every day and every game. You take it a day at a time or a week at a time. We don’t look at October yet. October will come, if we just follow our process.” 

The team will get its first taste of in-game experience on Saturday, Aug. 12, when the players travel to Air Academy in Colorado Springs for a scrimmage. With Air Academy historically being a Class 4A state playoff team, JJ Bosgraaf hopes the scrimmage can help the boys gain experience in a playoff atmosphere game prior to the start of the regular season. 

“It is going to show what playoff soccer should look like,” JJ Bosgraaf said. “I am going to take that scrimmage opportunity to see the players on the field, see how they work together, see how the team gels and how to set the best personnel on the field.” 

Summit will begin regular season play Friday, Aug. 18, away at Erie High School for its first game of the fall soccer season. The team’s first home game will be on Saturday, Aug. 26, when it hosts Steamboat Springs High School at 11 a.m. 

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