EL DORADO, Kan. – What began with the Cortez Elks Lodge’s area Soccer Shoot led Montezuma County’s competitors to the regional stage. Three local athletes advanced to El Dorado, Kansas, on Nov. 2 for the regional Elks Soccer Shoot: under-10 participant Autumn Candelaria, under-12 division’s Noah Hobbs and under-14 qualifier Salvador Moreno.
Candelaria competed against state champions from Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Texas and Kansas, finishing second in her age division. The shootout was held at Butler Community College in the heart of the Sunflower State.
The Elks Soccer Shoot grid-goal format requires participants to shoot from approximately the penalty spot at a goal divided into nine scoring zones. Each athlete receives 15 shots and aims to score as many points as possible to win the title.
Candelaria, Hobbs and Moreno earned their spots as Colorado state champions after progressing through increasingly competitive rounds. Candelaria’s high-point performance in Cañon City two months after the Cortez Elks Soccer Shoot secured her place at regionals, as did Hobbs and Moreno’s results in their respective divisions.
The Elks Soccer Shoot is a program of the Elks National Foundation, which promotes youth involvement in positive, community-focused activities, including its annual Hoop Shoot. For more information, visit http://www.elks.org/programs.
