September 19, 2022 (Denver, CO) - We were drawn to face our Colorado Classico opponent FC Denver in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Tournament 1st Round on September 17. Our match was played under the lights at their host site of Northfield High School just up the street from the Colorado Rapids home of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Our squad had prepared well and seemed ready to ball out. However, we got it wrong as a coaching staff and playing squad. The first half performance was arguably one of the worst in Harpos history and it warranted a dressing down followed by a pick me up to raise spirits and standards. The second half performance with some substitutions and tactical changes enabled smarter possession and a much better run of play, but there were way too many mistakes and missed chances. It finished 2-1. Well done to them on executing their game plan. This result leaves us very disappointed and frustrated, but it wasn’t our night. We wish our familiar foe and all other teams nationally the best of luck with their remaining qualifiers this autumn. Despite this setback, we will continue to live, learn and push onwards & upwards together!
Preparation is Everything
August 15, 2022 (Boulder, CO) - Summer break has been enjoyable but it felt great to get back on the pitch together. Preseason preparations are underway with core, lots of new bros and trialists. It’s exciting to welcome fresh energy, legs and quality to our club. Scrimmages are upcoming vs Colorado School of Mines ranked #20 in NCAA D2, Colorado Rapids Academy and Real Colorado MLS Next teams. Once these conclude, our focus shifts to League win and Open Cup qualification, which are our priorities. LFG!!
Stone Jack Ballers
June 20, 2022 (Boulder, CO) - Spring Season starts in winter and ends in summer. Due to the traditional inclement weather, our team had 3 weeks off in the build up to the Colorado Premier League Final. However it didn’t phase them at all and neither did one more Saturday night at the Dead & Company show at CU Boulder Folsom Field. Despite these potential pitfalls, we warmed up well for the 9am kickoff vs a feisty vocal Mamba FC. The match morphed into a back and forth battle as both sides created chances and gave their all. It was 0-0 at halftime and 1-1 at the end of regulation. Double overtime of 120 minutes on a big turf pitch makes you dig deeper and we responded with some clinical finishing to earn the 3-1 victory. As the much beloved heart ‘n soul of the Grateful Dead, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan sang, “…Cause I'm a stone jack baller and my heart is true, And I'll give everything that I got to you, yes I will…” Thank you to our amazing players, Manager Ryan “Big Mac” McAleer and fans for their fantastic commitment and support especially those who have been with our club since 2010. We enjoyed a memorable championship celebration highlighted by all of the dads who are raising the next generation of Harpos. What a special way for our futbol family to celebrate together. Happy Father’s Day!
Resilience, Teamwork, Unity
June 6, 2022 (Boulder, CO) - Whoa. After 6 months of arduous effort our new look side showed tremendous grit, quality and steel to become Colorado Super League Champions. We knew the winter break would not be kind to us, preseason could get ugly and spring season would be a major transition of squad personnel. This said we asked everyone to trust the process, to welcome in the next generation, and to pass on their collective knowledge of the standards required by our club. Thankfully everything came to fruition on our Final Match Day. Harpos 1-0 FC Denver in another tough battle. We love it when a plan comes together. Now it’s time to celebrate our journey. Then we will reflect upon lessons learned and all areas for continuous improvement. Well done to our ballers, coaches, fans and sponsors for a memorable league championship experience. We are hungry for more!
The Next Generation
April 11, 2022 (Boulder, CO) - We are going through a rebuilding phase. Our veterans are retiring, slowing down or transitioning to our Over 30 (OG) team. Our core bros are carrying a number of knocks, some season-ending injuries and others are missing in action due to priority commitments. Our newbies are adapting to all things Harpos while getting thrown into the deep end vs USL professional clubs. It’s true that you can only improve by playing vs better opponents and that’s certainly been the case in recent scrimmages. But despite being below our lofty standards, we embrace this learning experience and continue bringing in fresh talent. Now we get back to our regularly scheduled programming of weekly trainings in Superior and weekend games in Denver with our next generation squad starting to take shape for the spring season run in. Our best is yet to come together.