Titans girls’ soccer season kicks into gear this weekend

“The team feels more built up and deeper from the work over the years”

By Than Acuff 

The legacy of the Crested Butte Titans girls’ soccer team continues to gain momentum. The program has seen massive success over the past several years with a trip to the 2A state finals in 2022 and additional success including finishing last year 14-3-1 and reaching the semifinals of the state tournament before falling 3-2 to the eventual 2A state champions, Flatirons Academy.

“Regardless of whether you’re a good team or not, making semis is an achievement,” says head coach Tom Lewis. “Our ability to win the semifinal was there but we missed key chances. It was a great learning experience.”

This year the Titans have several goals which includes, on the results-end of things, making it back to the state tournament and winning the state tournament but also building a healthy team chemistry with all players before the April break.

The Titans are set up for success this year with 36 players on the roster for the 2025 season and 30 of the players on the current roster played club soccer in the fall for the West Elk Soccer Association with a couple dipping their toes into the Denver club soccer scene.

“We’re able to bring a foundation from our spring high school season last year into the fall club season to continue working on things,” explains Lewis. “We can then hit the ground running in the high school season. It’s a huge benefit.”

The Titans started workouts on Monday, February 24 with the typical preseason hurdles as some players were finishing up their basketball seasons and the team’s workouts were a mix of gym time and practice sessions on the Western turf field and dodging the weather. Now at full strength with more grass fields opening in Gunnison to practice on, the Titans are just starting to hit their preseason stride.

“Last week was great,” says Lewis. “The early part was tough due to snow, but Friday was fantastic. We had everybody running in an 11v11 full intensity drill and the girls reacted amazingly.”

The team is led by captains Grace Bogard, Rio Crabtree and Dakota Redden and lost only two starters to graduation from the team last season.

“Nine of the 11 that started the semis are available and the players stepping up are just as good,” says Lewis. “The team feels more built up and deeper from the work over the years.”

The Titans open the schedule on the road this weekend in Grand Junction as they face the Basalt Longhorns on Friday, March 14 and then the Aspen Skiers on Saturday, March 15. The Titans beat both teams to open the season last year and Lewis is hoping for similar results this go around, as well as maintaining the health of the team.

“Just getting through this weekend without injuries would be huge, it’s the beginning of a very chaotic month as we play 11 of our 15 games before the school break in April.” says Lewis. “I expect Basalt to be stronger than last year and Aspen will give us a similar challenge to last year.”

The Titans then have a massive test on Tuesday, March 18 when they host Buena Vista, at Katy O. Rady Field on the Western campus. Last year the Titans handed Buena Vista a 3-1 loss, but Buena Vista went on to make it to the 2A finals, so they should give the Titans an idea of where they stand in the big picture of 2A teams throughout the state. But Lewis wants the focus to be on this weekend first.

“The big thing for us as coaches is to make sure we don’t look beyond the next day or the next game,” says Lewis. “We want to keep the players grounded. The high school season is very competitive, and the kids can get caught up in wins, losses and records of other teams we play later in the season.”