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Luke Graham

Luke Graham's column appears Mondays in the Steamboat Today. Contact him at 970-871-4229 or e-mail lgraham@SteamboatToday.com.

Steamboat Springs — The fall sports season can't get here quickly enough. The doldrums of summer are great, but it's the prep action that is the best. Here in Routt County, there are multiple teams with high hopes this year.

Official practices open Aug. 17. The Steamboat Springs High School golf team opened practice today. Here are five trends to watch as fall sports approach:

- Can the Steamboat boys soccer team secure a home playoff game? I think the answer is yes. The team is strong in the back, led by senior goalkeeper Connor Birch. The Sailors started hot last year before cooling down the stretch. If the team can find goal scorers and finishers, it probably is the best in the Western Slope League. Coach Rob Bohlmann's team always is competitive. This one, however, could make a deeper run into the playoffs.

- How will Soroco build on 8-man football? This will be the second year the Rams have played the sport. After a respectable showing in its first season, Soroco should be even better this year. Although they still won't be eligible for the postseason, it should be interesting to see where the Rams find their motivation. Provided that motivation is there, Soroco could be one of the biggest surprises in 8-man football. For those looking for something to do, get down to South Routt and watch quarterback and linebacker Cody Miles play. He's one of the best athletes in Routt County.

- What does graduation do to Hayden? The girls volleyball and boys football teams each will have a different look this year. With heavy losses to graduation in both programs, it will be telling to see how the programs respond. Greg Johnson, who enters his second season as volleyball coach, was still hammering out his system last season. Expect it to be more refined this season. Football coach Shawn Baumgartner is no stranger to losing a lot from his teams. He is a stranger to losing. Both programs might not be as good, but they'll definitely be respectable.

- What can the Steamboat golf team do? With three varsity players back and the regional tournament slated for Haymaker Golf Course, the Sailors should have every opportunity to put a team through to the state tournament. Kaelen Gunderson and Scott Ptach are capable of shooting par, and Alan Capistron consistently scores in the 70s. If the team can find fourth and fifth guys to complement the top three, a berth at state should be a realistic goal.

- Can the Steamboat football team live up to expectations? Those expectations are large, and they should be. The Sailors have what many consider the best prep player in Colorado in Austin Hinder. They've got plenty of talent at wide receiver and running back. They've got more experience than they've had in a couple of years. But can they live up to it all? They'll have to if they want to get their hands on that golden ball - the goal of every team - at the end of the year.