Boys’ soccer 4A state tournament

Durango 2, Vista Ridge 0

At Durango: Goals from Nate Curmano and Vance Bulen helped the No. 9 seeded Durango Demons top Vista Ridge (11-3 overall) to advance to the second round of the 4A state soccer tournament.

Curmano scored in the final two minutes of the first of the half to give the Demons (13-2-1) a 1-0 lead and a huge momentum boost going into the second half.

Bulen added his goal in the 48th minute to seal the win, eliminating the Wolves from the playoffs.

Kennedy 1, Mitchell 0

At Kennedy: The Mitchell Marauders (9-7 overall) found themselves back in the 4A state soccer tournament after missing the cut in 2013.

But the return was short-lived as a second-half goal pushed the Kennedy Commanders (14-2) past Mitchell to advance in the 4A state soccer playoffs.

Cheyenne Mountain 3, Silver Creek 0

At Cheyenne Mountain: Cheyenne Mountain wanted to get out to a quick start in the first round of the 4A state tournament, and it did just that Wednesday. The Indians (13-3 overall) scored three goals in the first 18 minutes, more than enough to advance over Silver Creek (6-8-2).

“We just wanted to come out and dictate play, there’s a lot of nervousness being a top seed,” coach Tomas Martinez said. “There’s a lot of pressure on us to win.”

Sam Alvarez netted the first goal for the Indians in the fifth minute, which was followed by goals from Luke White and Andrew Sung, respectively. Keeper Keith Higginbotham recorded five saves in the win.

Air Academy 6, Thompson Valley 2

At Air Academy: A second-half offensive explosion for Air Academy led to an easy victory and second-round berth for the Kadets (16-0 overall).

Thompson Valley (8-6-2) showed some poise early, but Mark Beatty found the net only five minutes into the second half and the floodgates opened from there. A penalty kick from Austin Dewing and a goal from Gabriel Stuger proved to be more than enough for the Kadets to finish the game from cruise control.

Summit 2, Lewis-Palmer 1

At Summit: A rain-soaked field caused problems for both offenses in the first half, but Summit (14-1-1 overall) would net two goals in the second half to eliminate Lewis-Palmer (6-7-2) from the 4A state tournament.

The Rangers were able to put one in themselves, but weren’t able to find an equalizer.

The Classical Academy 3, Vista Peak Prep 0

At TCA: Jeremy Baldes scored the only goal of the first half to give the TCA Titans (16-0 overall) a 1-0 lead over Vista Peak (8-6-2).

Titus Grant and Andrew Peck added goals of their own in the second half for the Titans, who easily advanced to the second round of the 4A state tournament.

Littleton 5, Mesa Ridge 0

At Littleton: A tightly contested first half broke open for Littleton (13-3 overall) as it netted four second-half goals en route to a 5-0 win over Mesa Ridge (9-7).

The loss eliminates the Grizzlies from the 4A state tournament after a commendable season that saw them finish in the top three of the 4A Colorado Springs Metro League.

Field Hockey state semis

Palmer Ridge 1, Kent Denver 0

At Denver’s All-City Stadium: Liz Phillips found the back of the net in the 25th minute and it was all the Palmer Ridge Bears (12-3-2) needed to beat Kent Denver (13-2-1) and advance to the state championship game against Colorado Academy.

The state title game is set for a 5 p.m. start Saturday at All-City Stadium.

Football

Cheyenne Mountain forfeits remainder of football season

When the football season began for Cheyenne Mountain, the roster had 41 names on it. Earlier this week, athletic director Kris Roberts and coach Willie Roberts were staring an updated roster that contained only 12 names.

They had no choice but to forfeit their last two games of the season. They simply did not have the numbers they needed to compete with Coronado and Pueblo West, respectively, and Roberts refused to put the remaining players in harm’s way.

“We couldn’t keep doing it, we can’t go down that road,” Roberts said.

The roster began to deteriorate due to eligibility issues, injuries and players walking away on their accord. The athletic department plans to discuss the matter with everyone from current players to those involved with the middle school program. Roberts said he expects the Indians to resume play in 2015.

Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez rounds first after hitting a two-run scoring double during the sixth inning of Game 2 of baseball’s World Series against the San Francisco Giants Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Charlie Riedel