All-Area Boys Soccer TOTY: Ogden measured up to its goal of another title, and proved a bit more in the process
Perfect 18-0 Tigers are the 2025 Standard-Examiner All-Area Boys Soccer Team of the Year
- Ogden High’s hoists its 2025 state championship trophy following the 3A state boys soccer championship game versus Morgan on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at America First Field in Sandy.
- Ogden High’s Luis Velasco, from left, Gerardo “Jerry” Esquivel and Francisco Rivas celebrate after defeating Ben Lomond 1-0 in overtime during the 3A boys soccer semifinals Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Herriman.
- Ogden High’s Xavier Peregrina leans to make a save against Ben Lomond in the 3A boys soccer semifinals Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Herriman.
- Ogden High boys soccer players Jace Rodriguez (17), Xavier Peregrina (1) and Luis Velasco (15) pose for a photo on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Spence Eccles Ogden Community Sports Complex.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Ogden High's hoists its 2025 state championship trophy following the 3A state boys soccer championship game versus Morgan on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at America First Field in Sandy.
To say Ogden High’s fixed itself on the map, soccer-wise, may be an understatement.
Neither program, girls or boys, has posted a losing record since 2016, and the boys squad is fresh off a second consecutive 3A state championship at the hands of coach Todd Scott, eight seniors and a talented underclass undoubtedly favored for another such feat in 2026.
But it’s the latest boys campaign that arguably stands above the rest, including a largely familiar 2024 title team, as the first team in school history to achieve back-to-back titles and to do so with an 18-0 record upon defeating No. 6 Morgan 2-1 at America First Field in May.
A region title and postseason meetings with area foes Morgan and Ben Lomond, two more Northern Utah programs equally worthy of a seat in the title game this past spring, only make Ogden’s unblemished course all the more remarkable.
Historically, Ogden won three state titles under three different head coaches — 2000 under Dee Minnoch, 2002 under Ryan Robinson and 2005 under Sterling Castle — but this spring, Scott became the first coach in program history to win multiple titles with the Tigers.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Ogden High's Luis Velasco, from left, Gerardo "Jerry" Esquivel and Francisco Rivas celebrate after defeating Ben Lomond 1-0 in overtime during the 3A boys soccer semifinals Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Herriman.
Scott, now 10 seasons deep as Ogden’s head coach, snapped the program’s 19-year title drought with his 2024 squad, defeating Manti 4-1 on the very same turf in Sandy. Scott and the Tigers maintain 27 consecutive wins together, dating back to last spring, three wins shy of matching Dawain Wheatley’s state-record 30 wins at Wasatch from 2011 to 2012.
“You don’t deviate from any game or walk-through practices just because it’s the semis or the finals,” Scott said in a May interview. “You never deviate from the plans.”
Ogden is the 2025 Standard-Examiner All-Area Boys Soccer Team of the Year.
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Xavier Peregrina has itched to play goalkeeper at Ogden since junior high.
Like his teammates, Peregrina’s been around the game since he could walk. The All-Area First Team selection, and the Tigers’ three-year starting keeper, came up on the same competitive squads as his fellow captains, Luis Velasco (25 assists, 18 goals) and Jace Rodriguez (23 goals, 7 assists) before starting high school.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Ogden High's Xavier Peregrina leans to make a save against Ben Lomond in the 3A boys soccer semifinals Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Herriman.
A back wall consisting of seniors Brayden Wilson, Diovani Arevalo and Corbin Reed, combined with a dynamic midfield, set the stage for 11 shutouts and 180 saves by Peregrina in goal. Peregrina produced an 18-2 goal differential during the postseason (two goals allowed).
“We all knew it was coming,” Peregrina said in a May interview. “We all played around each other, and we knew that once we’d get on a big team, we’d be too much to handle.”
And assert themselves, Ogden did, as arguably the most frustrating opponent in the state.
Acing their non-region slate, the Tigers hung two key wins over Davis (3-0) and Layton (2-2 PKs) before playing a single 3A opponent. Averaging 4.5 goals per match, Ogden captured both regular-season series vs. Morgan and Ben Lomond.
Outright region champs at 10-0, Ogden earned its top seat in the state tournament and, with a first-round bye and 5-1 home rout of No. 9 Judge Memorial in the quarterfinals, found themselves seated beside the No. 5 Scots for one half of the state semifinals in Herriman.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Ogden High boys soccer players Jace Rodriguez (17), Xavier Peregrina (1) and Luis Velasco (15) pose for a photo on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Spence Eccles Ogden Community Sports Complex.
BL tied eventual state runner-up Morgan with a 7-3 region record and had won seven consecutive matches since dropping its second regular-season meeting to Ogden. Francisco Rivas, cleaning up a late shot by Gabe Liptrap, was who dealt the final overtime blow to the Scots.
“It’s always Ogden versus Ben Lomond, that’s the game,” Rodriguez said in a May interview. “That’s the game with the Iron Horse, with soccer, with everything that’s us against them. To come in here and play them it means something more than just a soccer game. You’re representing the school.”
Across the table, Morgan had its own agenda for disrupting Ogden’s repeat title.
Led by senior Sam Sugden, the Trojans strung together narrow victories over No. 3 Carbon and No. 2 Manti for another crack at the Tigers in Sandy. In Jesse Henderson’s first season as head coach, Morgan rallied back from a 1-5 start to make the title game with none other than Ogden.
Twenty-five minutes in, Ogden senior Gerardo Esquivel scored the match’s first goal; Morgan’s defense tamed the Tigers’ attack through the remainder of the first half, and the Trojans evened things up on a memorable swinging-leg assist from Brody Kinney to Luke Francis for the goal.
The second half dragged a 1-1 tie along with a Rodriguez tumble, igniting quite the reaction from the opposing student section and foreshadowing the junior forward’s game-winner on a penalty kick with 5 minutes to go. Morgan goalkeeper Ronan Ratchford appeared to stall Rodriguez’s shot but Rodriguez knocked in a putback goal before Ratchford could fully secure the ball.
Insert any of Ogden’s captains and, odds are, they’ll deliver.
“They’re my captains for a reason,” Scott said. “They’re very calm, collected when they can be.”
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In the fallout of a second consecutive title, Ogden’s expectations are understandably high heading into next season. And with eight departing seniors, there’s plenty of speculating to do regarding the returning roster of familiar faces and where this latest season’s experience can take the Tigers in 2026.
Among those missing seniors will be Velasco, the 2025 Standard-Examiner All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year and a Utah Gatorade Player of the Year nominee.
Soccer, especially playing with his high school team, positioned Velasco for success as he transitions into adult life.
Reporting to North Idaho College for soccer later this month, Velasco leaves his teammates with a bit of advice on repeating the success of two state-title seasons:
“It all just depends on how hard you work and how you lift each other up,” Velasco said. “They have those important roles, like with (Rodriguez) and (Peregrina), they’ll have a new squad coming in, but I feel like with their leadership, they’ll help the newcomers feel welcomed and able to perform.”
Connect with reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.