Bulldogs pull off a threepeat state win in 3A soccer

Courtesy photo/Bryan Byerly/BB Sports Pics

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The Bulldogs boys soccer team celebrate their state championship win on May 18.

SALT LAKE CITY – The Judge Memorial CHS boys soccer team and their fans are flying high after clinching a victory in the 2021 3A state tournament. The victory on May 18 makes it a threepeat for the Bulldogs, who have taken state three of the past four years. (Last year the state tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic).

After a first-round bye at the state tournament, the Bulldogs beat Maeser Prep Academy 3-1 on May 5. They followed that by defeating Summit Academy 2-0 on May 12 in the quarterfinals at home. A 3-1 victory over Delta in the semifinals at Juan Diego on May 17 left them poised for the state final on May 18 at Rio Tinto stadium. Judge had played Morgan twice prior in region, winning 2-1 in the first game but being defeated by the Trojans 3-2 at their home field.

Calling the Morgan players “a phenomenal group of athletes,” head coach Kelly Terrill said he expected the championship game to be a difficult game for the Bulldogs, “especially with the talent level that we have and the number of players we have. It was going to be a very difficult, physically demanding game for our team.”

In that game against Morgan at Rio Tinto stadium, the Bulldogs managed to beat the top-ranked team 1-0, with the only goal coming 30 seconds into the second half. That goal was scored by freshman forward Nahuel Batalla with an assist from forward John Chadwick.

 The Judge victory was a little unexpected not only because of the team’s #6 ranking but also “with the way we had performed during the season and also with some of the adversity we faced in the middle of the season,” Terrill said.

Among the challenges was that Juan Batalla, the team’s star player, broke his hip in an auto accident mid-season and had to sit out the rest of the year on the team. Still, the Bulldogs rallied.

“The boys had a lot of heart; they have a lot of fight in them,” Terrill said, adding that the seven seniors on the team were instrumental in pulling off the successful season. Kolby “Fish” Sessions is very talented, and John Chadwick also brought a lot of talent to the team’s front line, he said.

“He’s a real firecracker; that guy can go,” Terrill said.

Captain Gus Daskalakis, midfield, was a great leader and an example of “how to go to work,” he said. “The kids could see him working on the field and it was just contagious.”

Despite losing so many players to graduation, Terrill is optimistic about the 2021-22 season. The new group of incoming freshmen have a lot of talent and the four returning juniors will bring their experience and playing time to the team, he said.

The Bulldogs finished the season 12-5 overall and second in region.