While Pine Creek was on the losing end of the 5A state semifinals on Nov. 11, the scene epitomized the Eagles’ boys soccer program.

Coach Ben Corley said alumni came to the University of Denver from across the state and out of state to watch Pine Creek fight for a spot in the final. The past cheering on the present. 

“It was super cool to see the alumni there. Some of them I’ve played with in previous seasons,” Eagles senior Jacob Hull said. “Just to know that there was not only support from the school and what not, but also past players.”

Hull has fulfilled every aspect of what it means to be a member of Pine Creek soccer team, in terms of leadership, selflessness, skill and determination. He expects that one day it’ll be him in the stands cheering with pride at the program he helped lead for four seasons, capped off by an outstanding run in 2025. 

Hull was tied for the team-high in goals with nine and led in assists and points with seven and 25, respectively. He was named to CHSAA’s all-state second team. He is The Gazette boys’ soccer Peak Performer of the Year.

Right next to him on that all-state list and in life is fellow senior Wyatt VanHorn. Two seniors among a group of 14, Hull and VanHorn were named the team’s offensive MVP and overall MVP, respectively. They played invaluable roles on a Pine Creek team that posted a perfect 6-0 record in the 5A/4A Colorado Springs Metro League and advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2019. 

“We had a joke that he and Wyatt were brothers from different mothers,” Corley said. “For Jake playing midfield more of an attacking role and Wyatt playing more of a holding center mid, defensive role, those two guys could control an entire game and Jake was the one always making the late runs into the box and getting goals that way and Wyatt was the one that was serving a lot of the assists.”

The camaraderie the Eagles have is not only the linchpin in the success of the team as a whole but also on an individual level. 

Hull’s teammates helped him overcome one of the more challenging times in his high school career. 

As a freshman, Hull immediately demonstrated the skill and presence needed to play at the varsity level. 

“One of the biggest challenges I think with new players coming into a very competitive high school program is, I think, athletes are used to competing in the club environment predominantly with kids their own age and relative size. So the thing that stood out about Jake, even as a freshman … he’s not a big athletic looking kid to the eye, but he plays really big,” Corley said. “He has such a technical excellence that sometimes looks can be deceiving and he has always been able to play at that higher level.

“Dynamite comes in small packages.”

Hull was called up to varsity for the playoffs his freshman season and became a mainstay on the Eagles’ roster as a sophomore. In his second year, he finished third on the team in goals with four and third in points with 10. 

At the end of that season, Corley encouraged Hull, telling him he could become an all-state player. However, the junior season wasn’t the jump forward he and Corley were looking for. Hull scored twice, his career low, even though he recorded three assists, one more than his sophomore season.  

“Trust the process. Sometimes the stats and whatnot aren’t going to go the way you want them to, but I think it was important that I just stuck with it, continued to work hard and know that my time would come when I could get past that little slump,” Hull said. “I think just relying on my teammates to be supportive and help me in the moments when I wasn’t at my best is what really helped the team to be successful.” 

Entering his senior season, Hull said he didn’t overthink things and just maintained his work ethic on the pitch. In essence, he just played his game. 

“I’m always trying to outwork my opponent and whoever else is on the field,” he said. ”I also feel like I have pretty good vision in setting up my teammates for success and putting them in scoring opportunities.”  

He did just that this past season, helping Pine Creek earn a 10-2-3 record in the regular season, including a seven-game unbeaten run heading into the playoffs. The Eagles also captured a 4A/5A Colorado Springs Metro League Title in the process. 

Pine Creek went through a gauntlet in the postseason. The Eagles faced undefeated foes in the second round, quarterfinals and semifinals of the 5A tournament. After a 5-0 home rout of Grand Junction, Pine Creek made the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020. The Eagles punched their ticket to the semis with a 1-0 overtime victory over defending champion Cherry Creek, which had won its previous 29 matches. 

Hull scored nearly 10 goals this season, but, proving his selflessness, his favorite memory from the season is a goal he didn’t score. The golden goal against Cherry Creek stands out vividly in his mind.  

“Early into overtime, we got a corner kick. Hadley Pena served in a great ball and then another senior, Calvin Stewart, was able to head it in and it was just super awesome,” Hull said. 

Pine Creek fell to eventual champion Regis Jesuit in the semifinals but Hull believes that he and 13 other seniors showed the younger players the path to success. 

“It just goes to show that no matter who you’re facing, whether they’re undefeated or they haven’t had as good of a season, just to play your game and not to be fearful,” Hull said. “At the end of the day, anyone can beat anyone.”

Corley will use the example set by Hull and his graduating class to build future generations of great Pine Creek soccer teams. He’ll show film of play from Hull, VanHorn and others, but the most important aspect of the legacy is the character of the players. 

“We still always emphasize this Kaizen principle. It’s a Japanese word that just has to do with every member of an organization has equal value and dignity from the CEO to the custodian,” Corley said. “Because (the seniors) embraced that so much themselves, it helps set a culture and climate for the program that they get to carry forward. As they move on, they now leave that example as more of a legacy for the next group that comes through and that’s where I think our success as a program over the years has come.”