Boys soccer playoffs: Nielsen, Morgan strike Manti late in 3A semifinal
No. 6 Trojans and No. 1 Ogden set for 3A championship game
-
- Manti’s Tommy Bridges and Morgan’s Zach Nielsen battle for possession during the 3A state semifinal on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Herriman.
-
- Morgan’s Trace Henderson (9) passes the ball to Zach Drege (2) during the 3A state semifinal versus Manti on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Herriman.
-
- Morgan’s Grayson Wallace (0) and Will Staats (16) congratulate each other following a 1-0 win over Manti following the 3A state semifinal on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Herriman.
HERRIMAN — Jesse Henderson and Morgan High boys soccer’s first season together comes down to a state championship.
Zac Nielsen netted the lone goal during the No. 6 Trojans’ fifth consecutive semifinal appearance and Morgan outlasted No. 2 Manti 1-0 on Thursday at Zions Bank Stadium for a place beside unbeaten No. 1 Ogden in the 3A title match Saturday.
A corner kick by Kash Peterson powered its way into traffic and a Nielsen header was the result with 20-plus minutes remaining in the second half.
“It was a great corner off the back post, I headed it and I saw the ball roll into the back of the net,” Nielsen said. “It’s just attack the ball, get your head — anything — on it.”
Henderson commended Manti and the Jake Dettinger staff for a quality playoff matchup.
“That’s a hardworking group,” Henderson said. “They worked their butts off and you can see the amount of hard work and the coaching that goes into that.”
The Trojans (11-9) enter their first title match since 2023 a changed team with brand new leadership under Henderson and his staff. After a 1-5 start, Morgan rallied the troops for a 7-3 run as the Region 13 runner-up to Ogden.
As Morgan’s eyes and ears, goalkeeper Grayson Wallace said the on-field progression has been night and day since the season opened in March.
“We’ve learned a lot,” Wallace said. “With the new formations, I’m proud of all the boys. I think our back four is some of the most fun on the team. They work together super well and I had a lot of help from them today.”
Grayson and Morgan’s nine remaining seniors played a key role in ushering Henderson’s system to the rest of the team. Henderson tipped his cap to how his upperclassmen stayed the course through a transition not without its faults.
“Their senior year, they got a new coaching style (and) playing style,” Henderson said. “These guys just put their heads down and they went to work. … They committed to being students of the game, watched a lot of film and basically took everything we said, as coach, as gospel and just performed.”
Following a 3-0 loss to Ogden on April 18, Henderson and the Trojans shook off what was also their third region loss and have since won five consecutive matches heading into Saturday’s state championship.
“The boys went back to the drawing board, and the coaches too, and we’ve just put together a plan that we think is going to be (right) and we get to see it come Saturday,” Henderson said.
Saturday’s 3A title match is set for 11 a.m. at America First Field in Sandy.
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
