Greeley Central continues to make noise heading into soccer semifinals ...Saudi Arabia

During the first hour or two of the Greeley Central boys soccer team’s three-hour bus ride to Battle Mountain High School early Saturday, the atmosphere was a tad quiet.

Perhaps it was just all of the natural nerves that accompanied the Wildcats’ present situation.

But by the time the bus closed in on the small town of Edwards, the environment had come alive just a bit. Players began their pregame rituals, listening to music and discussing player assignments and strategy.

Just a handful of hours later, the ruckus inside that same bus was nearly deafening.

That’s not the only way in which Greeley Central has made more and more noise as the Class 4A boys soccer playoffs have progressed.

The Wildcats — long an afterthought within the Class 4A soccer scene — went on the road Saturday and took one more major step toward their ultimate goal. As the sixth seed in the 32-team postseason, Greeley Central remained firm in securing a thrilling 2-1 overtime win against third-seeded, two-time state champion Battle Mountain in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

“In the second half, we realized, it was now or never — if we let this game go, then our season is over,” Wildcats senor co-captain Joel Gonzalez said after Monday’s practice. “We started to play like a family, the way we know how to play. It was just an exciting feeling.”

With that win, Greeley Central remained unbeaten (16-0-2) heading into a semifinals clash against second-seeded Silver Creek (15-1-1) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Lakewood’s Trailblazer Stadium.

The winner takes on top-seeded Mullen (16-1-1) or No. 12 Cheyenne Mountain (10-4-4) in the state finals Saturday at Switchbacks Weidner Field in Colorado Springs.

The Wildcats, in their vast athletic history, have never won a boys soccer state title. This is already, perhaps, the closest they have ever come.

They would position themselves on the cusp of claiming that elusive title if they can overcome one very formidable obstacle, in Silver Creek, in Wednesday’s semifinal.

Even though Greeley Central has been as steady and reliable of a winner as any team in the state this fall, a run to Wednesday’s semifinals was far from a sure thing as Saturday’s quarterfinals match unfolded.

Battle Mountain broke a scoreless deadlock in the 32nd minute.

As the Huskies (11-5-2) fell just inches short a couple times of tacking onto their lead, the Wildcats’ talented leading scorer Allyson Izaguirre Almendarez tied the game in the 62nd minute.

“When he scored that first goal, all the momentum just shifted to us,” Greeley Central junior co-captain Orlando Esparza said. “I didn’t feel any pressure at all. I knew we were going to win that game. … Allyson was able to capitalize five minutes into the overtime. And when he did that, it was just pure happiness. There were tears everywhere.”

Almendarez nearly ended the game in regulation, just missing on a breakaway opportunity in the final minute before overtime.

But, just five minutes into the extra period, Almendarez refused to be denied.

His golden goal ignited the celebration for the Wildcats — a celebration that extended throughout dinner that night, well into the three-hour trip back down the mountain, a stark contrast to the somewhat reserved environment during the bus ride up that same mountain.

“I had to cover my head with blankets, and I had to put headphones in, because they were just too loud,” Greeley Central head coach Nestor Perez said with a smile. “But, they deserved it. And our bus driver let them have fun, which was even better. The guys were singing song. They were chanting. They were doing everything you could imagine. Me and (assistant coach Dakota) Sanchez were trying to channel it out, let them have fun.”

Now, it’s back to business, as Perez and his squad prepare for perhaps an even more daunting challenge against a Silver Creek that is also in pursuit of its first state title in program history.

The Raptors have justified their No. 2 overall seed throughout a playoff run in which they have outscored their three opponents by a combined 12-2, including a 3-0 quarterfinals win against 10th-seeded Air Academy (11-5-2), which won the state title a year ago.

While they expect their most physical match of the season, senior co-captain Asiel Raya said his and his teammates’ mentality won’t be much different than it was against Battle Mountain.

In many ways, the Wildcats are playing with house money. Perhaps no one, except themselves, really expected them to be playing in the final week of the season.

“The pressure is not on us,” Raya said. “If we lose, people will still say, ‘Ah, they had a great run.’ But, if we win, we’re going to make history. Those other teams, they’ve had a winning record, they’ve already done all this. They’re certified, for sure. And, we’re competing with them.”

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