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MURRAY — After suffering their first loss of the season against Layton Christian Academy, the Murray Spartans had plenty of reasons to come in a little sluggish.
With two goals in the first 10 minutes, junior forward Preston Lawson made sure that didn't happen.
It's only fitting he scored the first two goals after not scoring a single one in the first few weeks of the season, and it certainly looks like the Spartans are back on track after Friday's 6-0 rout of Park City that was never in doubt from the opening kickoff.
The win, played on a cold, cloudy, and windy day in south Salt Lake County, showed glimpses of what Murray could bring to the table this year under head coach Bryan DeMann. The Spartans, picked to finish at the top of Region 10, also put up a 4-0 thumping of Lehi and defeated 5A power Skyline 2-1 in extra-time to open the season.
"We've always talked about getting back together as we move the ball," DeMann said. "That's the recipe for success, no matter what it is."
And on that particular day, the Spartans had no trouble slicing through the Park City defense, with quick switches of play finding acres of space in the midfield, and wide runs from junior midfielder Jake Riches left the Miners fullbacks scrambling to cover their lines.
But the rout actually started Thursday in practice, where Riches said the players came out "a little bit angry" over the loss to Layton Christian, with the help of the captains, led by junior centerback Jayson Adams and senior wingback Kaden Coons, who celebrated his birthday on Friday.
"They're down-to-earth boys and they're very soccer-experienced, but they also have the confidence of their teammates," DeMann said of his two captains. "Their teammates not only know they're good players, but they also care about them."
And the coaches care about the players, too. Lawson said DeMann always wants the best for the players in each practice, and he also has a clear vision of what he wants his teams to be.
"He's always done a great job moving people around," Riches said. "He always puts us in the best spots to succeed on the field."
And even though Murray is off to a 5-0-1 start, they're in second place early in region play on 3 points because of their loss to Layton Christian Academy, heading into Friday's road match against Cottonwood.
"We talked about working hard every practice," DeMann said. "I'm trusting that my boys are mature enough. If they're not ready, we'll let ourselves down, and we'll be disappointed."
There's also another motivating factor pushing these Spartans this season. Murray came within a goal of dethroning the Alta Hawks in the 5A quarterfinals last year, and even though they've moved down a classification, they're out to prove it's still the same trophy-winning Spartan squad.
DeMann said his team had a glimpse of what they'll need to reach that state title-winning level against Layton Christian, saying "we've still got time to get better."
And it also helps the Eagles will face Murray on April 26 in what could very well be a region title-decider.
"They take some pride in who they are," he said. "There will come a time when they will circle that date on their calendar and try and be ready for that."
For sure, the region — which would be a third consecutive title in two different regions and classifications, no less — matters to DeMann and his team, but the Spartans know what their ultimate goal is at the end of the season.
"Our main goal is a state championship," Riches said. "We'd love to have a region championship, but the state title is what we want."
It fits, then, that Lawson said the goal for this year's team is push each other harder than ever to get the best out of everyone, with Riches adding the team is using last year's loss to Alta as fuel to continue getting better as one to reach that goal.
"We all know last year we had a great team, but I think we have an even better team this year," Lawson said. "We all know what we're capable of."
And Friday against Park City was just one example of it.
One can only imagine, then, what the rest of region play holds for this team — and how dangerous they could become when the playoffs begin.
