Lion Pride: Maeser boys soccer makes history, wins the 2A state championship
From its sketchy home field turf to the last team standing on the immaculate pitch at America First Field, Maeser Prep Academy has come a long way over the past 15 years.
The Lions reached the pinnacle of the 2A state soccer ranks on Saturday with a 3-1 win over American Heritage, topping off a long, arduous, and oftentimes frustrating process.
“It’s something that you want to happen, but you don’t always know if it’s possible,” said Maeser senior captain Jack Stevenson, whose emotion flowed as he clutched the state championship trophy after his team’s win.
Stevenson’s emotion was shared by not only his teammates and coaches, but by all the fans and alumni supporting the small charter school from the stands.
“We’re just the 15th Maeser team to ever exist, and we always talk about the boys who came before us,” Stevenson explained. “…We dedicate the trophy to the alumni and everyone who has come before us. That’s why I’m so emotional. We all did it for them.”
Maeser’s history isn’t a long one, indeed, but one that is brought up constantly by Maeser Coach Dustin Simmons, who has coached the team since it was first founded 15 years ago.
It was Simmons, along with a young man named Dallin Brand who first laid the turf for the Lion’s current field, in fact. Brand did it as part of his Eagle Scout project, while Simmons was just intent on helping out as best he could.
What formed out of all of it was a playing surface that Simmons jokes about as not being exactly ideal 15 years later.
“We arguably have the smallest field in the state that’s legal and we definitely have the worst field,” Simmons quipped. “I can say that because I helped build it.”
Wins didn’t come around very often during those first years for Simmons and his team, however. The Lions showed all the growing pains of a brand new program and didn’t register a winning season until just six years ago, a fact that Simmons states with pride considering all the vast improvements made.
“We talked yesterday before practice and I shared with them a slide show of every team we’ve had building up to today’s game,” Simmons related. “…So it means everything to these guys and we have a ton of alumni and former players here, and it means a ton to them, too.”
Saturday’s championship didn’t begin exactly as planned, however.
Despite dominating possession for most of the first half, the Lions found themselves down 1-0 in the 18th minute after Cael Tillman headed in a corner kick off the foot of Alex Bay to give the Patriot’s an early lead.
About 10 minutes later Maeser responded.
Speedy freshman Denzel Sono-Koree found the back of the net, presented with a wide open net following a shot from Sam Werner that saw the ball glance off Heritage’s goalie’s hand right to Sono-Koree’s left foot. The freshman took care of business, sending a rocket to the far right-hand corner of the goal to tie things at 1-1.
“We’ve been working on that all season, and he’s missed 12 of those,” Simmons said of his freshman’s goal. “But today, when it mattered, he got it.”
The Lions picked up in the second half where they left off in the first.
They pressured the Patriot’s defense throughout the game’s final 40 minutes, but came up just short on multiple scoring chances until the game’s 61st minute. It was then when Sono-Koree dribbled the ball effectively into the left side of the box, sent a centering pass to senior Jaden Garner, which he, in turn, booted through for the go-ahead score.
“He’s our super sub,” Simmons said of Garner. “He made the game-winning goal in the quarterfinals against Waterford, and he doesn’t get a lot of minutes. He only got 15 minutes today, but when he’s in, he’s deadly.”
The Patriots fought furiously in their comeback attempt, and did forge several scoring opportunities, only to have all of them snuffed out effectively by the Lions tenacious defense.
Then, in the game’s 77th minute came a goal that all but assured the Lions the championship. This time it was Noah Johnson exhibiting some deft dribbling through the Patriot’s defense to find himself with only the goalie between him and net. He subsequently kicked it in, giving the game its final score of 3-1.
Maeser celebrated the final goal earnestly, and continued its much-deserved celebration up until the point they had to leave the field. No fan in the Maeser stands left throughout all of it, with players continually pointing to those who had gone before them and supported them throughout.
“It sounds corny, but their spirit lives on at Maeser,” Stevenson said of Maeser’s alumni and former players. “Coach talks about them a lot, and he tells us all of their stories. That’s why we all respect the alumni so much.”
Considering what Stevenson, and his teammates accomplished on Saturday, they’re sure to be remembered and respected as fondly as anyone at Maeser, and for some time.
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- Maeser players celebrate after winning the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser players celebrate after winning the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser players celebrate with senior Jaden Garner (24) after he scored a goal during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser junior Nathan Bowler takes a shot during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser and American Heritage players battle for the ball during the 2A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- American Heritage senior senior keeper Matthew Lake makes a leaping save during the 2A championship game against Maeser at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- American Heritage senior Sam Werner dribbles the ball up the field during the 2A championship game against Maeser at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- American Heritage senior Cael Tillman (center) gets to a corner kick and redirects it into the net to score a goal during the 2A championship game against Maeser at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- American Heritage players celebrate with senior Cael Tillman (center) after he scored a goal during the 2A championship game against Maeser at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser sophomore Caleb Chavez (17) goes high to head the ball during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser senior Jack Stevenson takes the ball up the field during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser freshman Denzel Sono-Koree (6) celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser senior Tim Hadfield stretches to get to the ball during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser senior Tim Hadfield brings the ball up the field during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser and American Heritage players battle for the ball during the 2A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser and American Heritage players battle for the ball during the 2A championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser fans celebrate after the Lions won the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser players celebrate after winning the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser players celebrate after winning the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser senior keeper Max Fairbanks rolls the ball to a teammate during the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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- Maeser players pose for photos after winning the 2A championship game against American Heritage at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
