The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Host Telluride Thursday, September 15 4 p.m.
The preseason preparation and non-league games came to a close last week as the Crested Butte Titans faced Montrose JV on Tuesday, September 6 at Rainbow Field.
Every year the Titans take on the Montrose JV team as part of a round of early season games to flesh out their starting line-up and put the finishing touches on all of the preseason workouts.
Montrose is a 4A school and their varsity has a full schedule every season and it is believed a showdown with their varsity would be a complete blow-out.
In past years, their JV gives the Crested Butte Titans a run for their money, often handing them a loss as Crested Butte muddles through a game that they have trouble taking seriously.
This year was different though, as the Titans were determined to finish off their non-league contests on a high note with the start of league play on the near horizon.
“We wanted to see who can fill different roles in different positions,” says coach Mike Martin. “Also, we wanted to see how well we could control the game in an attacking way.”
While the Titans maintained a majority of possession through the first half, they struggled in the attacking third to find clear shots on net. It wasn’t until the final minute of the half that they mounted an organized attack with midfielders pushed forward.
Sophomore Parwit Durgan received a pass wide and dropped it back to senior Luis Aguirre at the top of the 18. Aguirre drew a couple of defenders and slipped the pass across to freshman Sam Reaman who banged it home for a 1-0 Titans lead at halftime.
Montrose responded in the 58th minute of the game on a corner kick and the tide was turning in Montrose’s favor as the Titans struggled to link passes and maintain possession.
The Titans got a break in the 65th minute when senior striker Colin Dill charged on a Montrose defender in the penalty box.
The defender attempted to clear the ball but Dill stuffed it and the rebound caught the Montrose keeper by surprise, slipping through to put the Titans back on top 2-1.
Titans pressure in the Montrose penalty area paid off again five minutes later when senior captain Ben Reaman followed on a deflection off a Titans corner kick to drive the ball past the Montrose keeper and seal the 3-1 Titans win.
“The effort was there and we didn’t get down when they tied the game,” says Martin. “The kids rallied. We showed better possession than we had seen the previous weekend.”
All bets are off now as Crested Butte prepares for three big games in the next week. They host Telluride on Thursday, September 15 with the varsity kick off at 4 p.m. and the JV game starting at 5:45 p.m.
Telluride handed Crested Butte two crushing losses last season and the Titans are looking to avenge those sour defeats in the league opener on Thursday.
They hit the road to face perennial league powerhouse Ridgway on Saturday, September 17 and then return home to host Salida on Tuesday, September 20.
“I think the kids are ready,” says Martin. “We still need to work on offense and getting the midfield involved. I think the kids have the heart right now to take on all three teams.”
