Northfield Nighthawks determined to defend first-ever boys soccer title

Five years ago, Northfield High School didn’t have a football program.

But this past fall, the boys’ soccer team wrapped up one of the most memorable seasons in Colorado history. In just their fourth season for the young program, the Nighthawks went on a perfect 20-0 season en route to their first Class 4A state championship. Six months later, their girls’ soccer team pulled off the same feat as they were also crowned state champions for the first time, capping an unbeaten season.


This fall, Senior Jack Freimann and the Nighthawks will attempt to defend their state title in a community still feeling the championship fever of the past school year.


“We’re taking that momentum with us,” Freimann said at the Broncos/CHSAA Fall Sports High School media day. “But at the same time we have a new season. We’ve lost 12 seniors so we’re not rebuilding, but we’re in a phase right now where we’re tweaking the fine things and the chemistry is getting better. This dynamic is a confidence boost.”


Northfield will be without Moises Inda, who scored 26 goals last season, including the game-winner in the state championship, along with other key figures like goaltender Alex Witzel and forward Max Garfield, but the Nighthawks still feel like they did the talent to make another deep postseason run.


While the Nighthawks will try to find their way back to Switchbacks Weidner Field in Colorado Springs later this fall, the site of this season’s state championship games, they’ll find additional motivation if they can check out Dicks Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado rapids, training every day.


“Dicks Sporting Goods Park is just behind Northfield, we look at it every day when we train,” Freimann said of the site, which is about a mile from the school’s campus. “It’s very special to have that field right there.”


The Nighthawks’ title defense begins Saturday morning when they travel to Golden before their Aug. 24 home game against Holly Family. The Nighthawks host Mullen in a state championship rematch on Friday, September 9 before beginning their league schedule that gets more competitive each season.


“[Winning state] brought respect to Denver public schools,” added Freimann. “Now if you see a DPS team on your schedule, fear. We have the potential to beat you.”


While it’s still unclear whether the Northfield players will go back to dying their hair gold this season, Freimann and the Nighthawks are excited to get back on the field to begin another championship campaign.