Kaydn Doche never played team soccer prior to his freshman year at Widefield.

The 2021 season served as Doche’s introduction to organized soccer and it was a character-building year for the Gladiators, who finished 0-15.

However, the winless start to the senior’s career didn’t discourage Doche or any of his teammates. Four years later, that optimism paid off.

Widefield finished this season 10-4-1, its first 10-win season since 2019, and earned a share of the Class 4A Colorado Springs Metro League South title. Widefield split the league championship with Harrison, which finished 10-2-3.

The co-league title was the Gladiators’ first league championship since 2012, when they went 13-3-1 and won the Metro League.

Their success this year earned the Gladiators the No. 25 seed in the 4A playoffs and they head to No. 8 Montbello (9-0-6) at 4 p.m. Thursday.

“We kept getting better. After my freshman year, we won some and then the next season we won some more,” Doche said. “We got a little bit better each year and, after my first season, I hoped we could do something special.”

Doche’s teammate, Brennan Faires, had a wealth of experience on the pitch, but little with blowout defeats.

During the 2021 season, the Gladiators conceded 131 goals to their opponents and scored just 7 in their 15 contests.

“Coming from a club background, I hadn’t experienced huge losses like that before,” Faires said. “I remember walking off the field with my head hanging and almost in tears. It felt awful.”

As cohesion improved, the Gladiators began to close the gaps on those numbers.

In 15 games this year, Widefield scored 67 goals, only allowed 29 and shut out three opponents.

Faires, who plays center back for the Gladiators, said communication continues to improve and players operate as chess pieces. They recognize one miscalculation could jeopardize their backline.

That is why players operate with patience to thwart their opponents’ attack.

“Communication is key with us,” Faires said. “We’re talking to each other and trying to figure out where the ball is, where other people are out there and how we can support each other.”

In five October matches, the Gladiators allowed just nine goals — four of which came in a 4-2 loss to Harrison — outscored their opponents 15-4 and didn’t allow the opposition to score more than two goals in those games.

Their 2-1 win against Coronado and 3-2 victory over Cañon City marked the first time since 2019 that Widefield defeated either of those teams. Doing so helped the Gladiators earn the league title.

“We’ve learned to look more at the positives rather than hanging on to the negatives,” Doche said. “Our whole squad from freshman year through senior year remained mostly the same and everyone has grown as a player since then. With that comes better chemistry and communication. When we come together as a team, all of that work helps us do better.”

The Gladiators’ playoff berth marks their return to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Widefield’s opponent, the Warriors, finished the regular season without a loss, but did have six draws in their first season as a team.

Montbello has not allowed a goal since a 3-3 tie with Westminster on Sept. 27 and have conceded only 11 goals all season.

Ryan Vsetecka respects the Warriors’ accomplishments, but the senior knows the Gladiators crave success after years of anguish on the pitch.

“The want to win, and the belief that we can win has changed a lot with us,” Vsetecka said. “We believe in the work we put in and trust in ourselves. We believe in each other and that’s the biggest thing.”

Vsetecka said the Gladiators are happy to have a spot in the playoffs, but doesn’t expect to go one-and-done in their return to the postseason.

The Gladiators last won a playoff game in 2013 when they beat Valor Christian 1-0 in overtime as the No. 16 seed. Now, they’re hoping to pull off the upset.

“We want to keep proving people wrong,” Vsetecka said. “We want to show everybody that we belong and that we deserve a spot. Just because you deserve it doesn’t mean anything. You have to go out there and play and show people and try to get that win.”

This story has been updated to show Harrison and Widefield split the league championship.

Playoff contests

5A

Games take place Oct. 30

No. 17 Cherokee Trail (10-5-2) at No. 16 Pine Creek (8-5-2), 6 p.m.; No. 29 Vista Ridge (10-4-1) at No. 4 Cherry Creek (13-1-1), 6 p.m.; No. 22 Erie (8-5-2) at No. 11 Liberty (10-2-1), 6 p.m.; No. 31 Fountain-Fort Carson (9-5-1) at No. 2 Boulder (14-0-1), 7 p.m.

4A

Games take place Oct. 31

No. 32 Falcon (4-10-1) at No. 1 Mullen (11-2-2), 3:30 p.m. Oct. 31; No. 25 Widefield (10-4-1) at No. 8 Montbello (9-0-6), 4 p.m.; No. 28 Cañon City (7-4-3) at No. 5 Silver Creek (9-2-3), 5 p.m.; No. 29 Rampart (6-6-3) at No. 4 Centaurus (9-3-3), 3 p.m.; No. 20 Coronado (8-4-3) at No. 13 Skyview (9-3-3), 6 p.m.; No. 30 D’Evelyn (7-5-2) at No. 3 Air Academy (11-1-2), 6 p.m.; No. 19 Harrison (10-2-3) at Greeley Central (12-2-1), 5 p.m.; No. 26 Pueblo West (9-5-1) at No. 7 Cheyenne Mountain (9-5-1), 6:30 p.m.

3A

Games take place Oct. 30

No. 19 DSST: College View (7-4-4) at No. 14 Manitou Springs (10-3-2), 6 p.m.; No. 22 The Classical Academy (7-7-1) at KIPP Denver Collegiate (11-2-1), 4 p.m.; No. 26 Basalt (5-9-1) at Woodland Park (11-1-3), 6 p.m.

2A

Games take place Nov. 1

No. 24 Grand Valley (5-8-1) at No. 9 Fountain Valley (10-3-1), Time TBD; No. 20 Colorado Springs Christian (9-6) at No. 13 Gunnison (7-7-1) at 2 p.m.; No. 18 Thomas MacLaren (6-6-3) at No. 15 Bruce Randolph (7-4-3), Time TBD; No. 23 Vanguard (6-7-2) at No. 10 Vail Mountain (5-7-3), 5 p.m.