DRAPER — The Layton Christian boys soccer team had worked too hard to give up on its goals during Friday’s Class 2A state semifinal.

Not even a one-goal deficit would deter them.

Marcelo Holanda scored two goals and Layton Christian scored four unanswered goals to advance to its first Class 2A boys soccer state final in school history with a 4-1 semifinal win over Millard at Juan Diego Catholic High School.

“I was scared, but at the same time, I was like ‘we’ve got this,’” Holanda said. “We’ve been working so hard and we had to come back. It was the beginning of the game, so nothing was set.”

Sebastian Oliver and Bartomeu Mestre each added a goal for Layton Christian (13-2-1), who advanced to face South Summit at 11 a.m. MDT Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium.

“We’re blessed and happy to be there. The kids really wanted to get there, and they got there as a team,” Layton Christian coach Chris Tatro said. “We don’t have one superstar on this team; we have a lot of stars. It’s different than some other teams I’ve coached.”

Millard took the early lead against the run of play when Alex Wall finished off a fast break just 18 minutes in to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

But Layton Christian didn’t let up.

Christians Gutierrez had a shot deflected off the crossbar at the half-hour mark. When Millard goalkeeper Homero Gutierrez went to reset the play, Oliver leaped on the ball and chipped one over the Millard goalkeeper at the 34-minute mark to tie the match, 1-1.

Then the winds started to change on the blustery day in Draper.

“You never know when the winds are going to change,” Tatro said. “We just got down with a quarterfinal where we had the wind in our face the whole time … we were used to it.”

Just two minutes later, Layton Christian took its first lead on Holanda’s rip from 25 yards out that just beat the goalkeeper and caromed off the inside of the right post.

Millard nearly equalized moments later, but a corner-kick attempt was cleared off the line by Layton Christian’s defense and the Eagles took a 2-1 lead into halftime in its race for the first state championship game before next year’s major realignment cycle.

“Waterford and Rowland Hall have always been the kings of 2A,” Tatro said. “We knew we needed to break through this year because a lot of those schools are going up next year (with realignment).

Millard (15-2) nearly equalized about 17 minutes into the second half. Wall lined up a free kick from about 30 yards away, but his attempt that cleared the defensive wall caromed off the crossbar and was quickly collected by Layton Christian goalkeeper Davis Bagire.

Fabrizio Tufano nearly added another marker for Layton Christian in the 63rd minute. But after his attempt was parried aside for a corner kick, the junior launched an out swinger at teammate Bartomeu Mestre, whose side volley found the back of the net for the Eagles’ 3-1 advantage.

Holanda finished off the scoring, faking a shot then sliding home a goal with 10 minutes remaining to give Layton Christian its final 4-1 advantage.

“Our school is still new, but it’s behind us. It feels great,” said Holanda, one of several international students at the Layton private school. “This is my first year at the school, and I’m a senior so this is awesome.”

South Summit 3, American Leadership 1

At Draper, Zeb Farmer had a goal and an assist to lead the Wildcats past American Leadership to set up an all-2A North state final.

“It feels amazing, being a senior and going to the finals,” said Farmer, South Summit’s leading scorer. “My dad took state as a senior, and I want to take state as a senior.”

Farmer gave South Summit (15-2) the 1-0 lead just three minutes into the match and substitute Cole Georgi doubled the advantage 10 minutes later in the other semifinal.

Farmer nearly added another with three minutes remaining in the half, but his attempt from the middle of the pitch was saved.

Instead, ALA’s Joseph Valle pulled one back in the final minute of the half, hooking a free kick around the wall and sliding home a goal to pull the Eagles (12-4) within 2-1 at halftime.

“I think we all felt great, still,” Farmer said. “One went in, so we just knew we needed to come out and get another one.

“We always play better going into the wind.”

There was no panic.

“We went into halftime as confident as can be,” Hunter Hartman said. “Coach told us to pick it up, and we did. We just had to move on, and we accomplished it.”

Christian Brizuela tried to equalize from distance in the 64th minute, but his attempt was saved two minutes after his ALA coach Antonio Mendieta was sent off with a pair of yellow cards during a chippy second half.

Hartman banged in a “wide open” corner kick with six minutes remaining to seal the deal on South Summit’s state final rematch from a regular-season series that the Wildcats split with Layton Christian.

“They beat us on a smaller field, and we beat them on a bigger field,” Hartman said. “Tomorrow is a bigger field.

“That’s all I’m going to say.”

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