The Murray boys soccer team has been on the road to a state championship before.
For the last 20 years under coach Bryan DeMann, the Spartans have had many talented teams. However, they’ve never returned home without that coveted trophy.
The top-ranked Spartans have that feeling again — or perhaps DeMann does — and they took another step forward Friday afternoon as Colton DeMann and Carlos Nieto-Rosales scored second-half goals in a 2-1 comeback victory over East.
The two sides played evenly to a 0-0 draw for 40 minutes, and then the Leopards took the lead less than a minute into the second half.
“All the players are familiar with each other. They have played together and against each other in club ball for a long time, and they know how important the (high school) games are here. We were just looking for that one rare shot that could get us going, and they weren’t going to let us do it easily,” coach DeMann said.
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East’s Angel Mendoza (10) dribbles against Murray’s Ian Goodloe (15) during the first half of a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Murray’s Colton DeMann (9) scores against East’s Adi Helac (1) to tie the game during the second half of a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East’s Leo Unkefer (8) retrieves the ball from the goal after Murray’s Colton DeMann (9) scored to tie the game 1-1 during the second half of a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Murray’s Carlos Nieto-Rosales (10) celebrates after converting a penalty kick to take a 2-1 lead over East during the second half of a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East celebrates after scoring during the second half against Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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East plays Murray in a 4A region 10 boys soccer game at East High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
Finally, with just over 21 minutes left in the game, Colton DeMann, the coach’s grandson, got the ball alone only a few feet from the goal, and ended Murray’s drought.
The Spartans took advantage of that momentum change to apply pressure on East’s defense, and then with 12 minutes remaining, a Spartans’ player was fouled near the goal and Nieto-Rosales sent the penalty kick past the East goalkeeper for his 13th goal this season and improved Murray’s record to 11-0 overall and 8-0 in region.
With the regular season more than halfway finished, Murray has scored 46 goals and only allowed five. No opponent has scored more than one goal against the Spartans in any game, and Murray goalkeepers Daniel Manila and Grayson Medell have combined to hold six teams scoreless.
The Spartans’ prowess reminds coach DeMann of all the other times Murray has had its sights set on winning state. The most recent trip was two years ago when the Spartans fell to Ridgeline 4-3 in the title contest. Last year, after a 9-0 start, they entered state as the No. 1 and made it to the quarterfinals before being beaten by Mountain View in a shootout.
Friday’s win was Murray’s second of the season over East, which is currently sitting in second place at 8-3 overall and 5-3 in region.
“This game was a lot like those other ones (at state),” coach DeMann said. “A (different) bounce here, a bounce there, and this game could have ended differently. The teams are all so close.”
The Spartans filled their nonregion schedule with 5A and 6A schools nearby, so they aren’t sure how they compare to the other 4A schools when the state tournament starts on May 8. The championship game is scheduled for May 22 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
