Rampart girls’ soccer players exited the pitch last season at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood disappointed but proud of their accomplishments in the 2025 campaign. 

The Rams had just completed their best playoff run in team history and advanced to the 4A semifinals. But they fell one win shy of the championship game and that ignited many of the Rams’ players.  

After the semifinal match against Windsor, which won that game 2-0, many Rams made promises of making a return to the penultimate game this year or to go further – typical sentiments that follow such a loss. Words are great, but actions are better. And the Rams’ play in 2026 has matched their bravado.

“We were grateful to make it to the semifinals, but we know we want to make it even further,” senior Brooklynn Pollmiller said. “It was a great feeling getting there last year, but remembering the feeling afterward helps push us to make it to state this year.”

Following a 10-0 mercy-rule win at Fountain-Fort Carson on Thursday, the Rams improved to 8-1. The Rams, per MaxPreps’ rankings, are fourth in Colorado and 78th nationally out of 2,672 teams, quite the jump from last year when Rampart ended the year ranked 357^th in the nation. 

Of course, those are just numbers to coach Carisa Whitson, who’s been at the helm at Rampart since 2011. 

She’s had teams start 17-0 that missed the title game and last year’s squad, which finished the regular season with nine wins before wrapping the year 12-4-3, that advanced to the semifinals. Whitson said she and her athletes are only concerned with one game: the next one. 

“Our focus is one game at a time,” Whitson said. “We’re not looking to (the) playoffs and getting to the big stage. We’re just looking to focus on the team we’re facing.” 

While players hope to play at Weidner Field on May 19 in the 4A championship, athletes have bought into Whitson’s strategy and, despite losing seven seniors from last year’s team, the Rams have appeared flawless at times on the pitch. 

Through nine games, they’ve allowed just three goals — two of which came in a 2-1 loss to undefeated Palmer Ridge — and have shut out seven of their nine opponents. 

Since a 2-1 loss to Cheyenne Mountain last season, the Rams are 19-3-1 and have allowed 10 goals in 23 matches, an average of 0.43 per game. 

“Our focus has been on us and how we can be a better team,” Whitson said. “How can we improve every day at training or from game to game? What are we doing to be better? That can be supporting each other more on and off the field, staying and playing at high and competitive levels, no matter who our opponent is. I think that’s a big factor.” 

Prime example: the Rams’ contest with the Trojans. Fountain-Fort Carson entered the matchup 1-4-1 and had not beaten the Rams since March 2013. 

The Rams didn’t slouch in the matchup, and freshman Aubrie Smith scored 26 seconds into the game and six minutes later to give the forward her second goal of the night. The Rams led 7-0 at halftime and pulled most of their starters early in the first half. 

Younger Rams players had an opportunity to gain valuable varsity experience and learn the intricacies of Rampart’s style. 

The Rams netted three more goals in the second half to give them 10 while Smith and Pollmiller each finished with a hat trick. For Smith, it marked her second consecutive contest with three goals. 

For Pollmiller, who is committed to the University of South Dakota, the senior said games like Thursday’s are vital not just to her, but for the Rams to ensure they thrive and achieve what they hope this season. 

“All of us talked about playing for each other before the season,” Pollmiller said. “Every goal we score is for our teammate and the goal is to win. We all want that feeling of playing at state, and I know for every one of us, last year that feeling wasn’t great and we all felt that. We all want to make it to state and that’s a group effort.”