The Summit High School boys soccer team has changed a lot over the last four years. 

Seeing three different coaches in the span of four seasons can often derail a program, but Summit has continued to work hard and play for whoever is at the helm of the program.  

Heading into the 2025 season, the Summit Tigers will once again be tasked with transitioning to a new head coach. After two seasons under the charge of JJ Bosgraaf, the reins have been handed over to longtime Summit County soccer coach Julio Mora. 

While any change can be scary, the Summit boys soccer program is in good hands since Mora is knowledgeable, skilled and passionate about coaching soccer.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Mora has been a soccer coach for the last 25 years through High Country Soccer Association’s Summit Striker club program. 

While he was coaching the U11 through U18 club teams, Mora often longed to become the head coach of the Summit High School boys soccer program. 

Although he had the knowledge base and experience to coach the varsity program, Mora decided to not ever throw his hat into a hiring pool because of how the commitment would interfere with raising his daughters.

“For many years I have been wanting to actually be part of this program,” Mora said. “But having two daughters, it was my priority to be with them and their activities. It was phenomenal.”

When his daughters reached college age, Mora began committing his time to the Summit boys soccer junior varsity team, where he has served as a coach for the last several seasons. 

Upon Bosgraaf departing from the program at the end of last season, Mora promptly applied for the varsity head coaching job and was hired by Summit High School athletic director Bob Bodor. 

“It is something really important,” Mora said. “It is something that I believe I owe back to the community and to the district. So it is an honor to be able to contribute and transmit my love and passion for the sport with these fine young gentlemen.”

In addition to the honor of being named head coach, Mora will have the rare opportunity to reunite with athletes he once coached as children.

“I have coached through the club every single player on varsity except for one who was a recent transfer over the summer,” Mora said. “Everybody else I have coached. As a matter of fact, one of our varsity players, I coached his dad back in the day. So I am in my second generation of family coaching.”

Mora will inherit a team that is fresh off its first playoff appearance since the team made it all the way to the Class 4A state semifinal in 2022. With eight varsity players graduating from the team last year, Mora will be tasked with rebuilding and reshaping the team into a state playoff contender again this fall. 

Mora will specifically lean on several returners who are expected to serve as Summit’s leaders on and off the pitch. Entering their final seasons as Tigers, Seth Montgomery and Paulo Nieto will be the team’s two primary captains throughout the season. Senior Nelson Vazquez Rojas and senior Oumar Ba will be the team’s secondary captains when Montgomery and Nieto cannot be on the field. 

On Saturday, Aug. 16, Summit got the opportunity to face Regis Groff in a scrimmage. Taking place in Breckenridge, both teams were able to get a feel for what their starting lineups may look like before lightning canceled the rest of the game.

Despite the abbreviated scrimmage, Mora was encouraged by the unity and determination his team displayed throughout the game — something that the program has historically utilized as an anchor point during the fast-paced season. 

“That is definitely going to be one of our strengths, us staying together, working together, working hard, supporting each other and also holding each other accountable,” Mora said.  

“One of the things that we strive for is to kind of help them understand … the hard work piece,” assistant coach Chad Rowe said. “Understand the value of what that means in life, not just in the game. It is going to be hard, and you are not always going to win.”

While it would be great to see the program return to the playoffs again this fall, Mora is more focused on first shaping his team into great leaders and human beings.

“It will always be a goal to be successful and to make it as far as we can in the playoffs,” Mora said. “The bar was set pretty high the past couple years. … It is now my responsibility along with my fellow coaches, to rebuild the program, to reunite it and give it a good run. My main priority is to be recognized more for good sportsmanship and leadership.”

Summit will begin its season with a home opener against D’Evelyn High School on Thursday, Aug. 21. After working hard throughout the summer months, players like Montgomery are excited to hit the ground running.

“The group is a lot closer this year than in past years,” Montgomery said. “We will be able to use that for longevity because in the past years, if we got down and we started fighting against each other, that just ruined the morale.”

Summit’s game against D’Evelyn will begin at 6 p.m. at Climax Molybdenum Field in Breckenridge.