By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com              

The Copper Hills boys soccer team began its season playing the top-ranked and defending state champions. Even with the loss, coaches and players think they are prepared for a successful season.

“We are a young team, and playing probably the best team in the state was a challenge,” Grizzlies head coach Sean Terry said. “It is not a mistake they are ranked No. 1 and have not lost in nearly 30 games. We have some things to learn, and this is exactly why I wanted this game.”

The Grizzlies traveled to North Ogden to take on Weber High School in its third game of the season. Weber sits at the base of Ben Lomond Mountain with fantastic views of the Ogden Valley, but the team was there for other reasons.

The first half was back and forth, but Weber was clearly dominant. Their physical and fast pace wore on Copper Hills. Early in the second half the Warriors found the back of the net with not one but two goals. Copper Hills tried to post a counterattack, but the Warriors defense choked off any attempt they could muster.

“This game was very important,” Terry said. “I wanted to see where we stood. We have a lot of sophomores and juniors and even some freshman that have not played in a varsity game. Now that we have seen this level, we can make some adjustments and settle down.”

Copper Hills did capture wins in its first two matches of the season. It defeated Hunter 4-3 and Cyprus 1-0.

“Those were both games we should win,” Terry said. “Now we can work through some training and learn to trust each other. We have to learn not to panic. We wanted to play fast, but we need the kids to slow the game down.”

The Grizzlies will rely on a strong midfield and defensive front. Their goalkeepers have little experience, and Terry hopes the defenders can limit their exposure.

“We are stacked in the back. I feel like we can build from there,” Terry said. “I have 15 kids that I feel will be impactful.”

Junior forward and striker Ben Kump already has one goal on the season and expects more of himself.

“I feel like my confidence can be better and I am trying to get a little bit better on the field,” he said. “I definitely want more goals than last season for sure. I feel like I want more from myself. I feel great about our team. I think this is the best team we have had since we went to the championship game. We have the potential to go all the way.”

Senior midfielder Max Gutierrez will be an anchor on defense, and Terry thinks newcomer Sean Latourette will have an impact this season.

“He (Latourette) came from the RSL academy,” Terry said. “He is a sophomore and will be really good. I love these kids. They are super-hard workers and come to practice and games with the right attitude.”

This is Terry’s second season as head coach and seventh with the team. He served as an assistant coach before taking the head position.

Last season, the Grizzlies finished 10-8, third in Region 3. They defeated Kearns in the first round of the playoffs but lost to Bingham in a shootout in the second. In 2019, they lost to Weber 1-0 in the Class 6A state championship game.