Laramie High Boys Soccer Falls 3-1 to Campbell County in Season Opener

The Laramie High Plainsmen boys soccer team left Deti Stadium behind for their season's first road test Friday and came home from Gillette with a 3-1 loss to the Campbell County Camels, extending what has become a stubborn three-match losing streak against that opponent.

The consecutive defeats against Campbell County put immediate pressure on the Plainsmen heading into a Class 4A East Conference schedule that offers no soft landings. Friday's result was a road opener against a Camels program that has handled Laramie in each of their three most recent meetings, a pattern that coach Andy Pannell's group will need to interrupt if the Plainsmen want to establish themselves as a postseason contender this spring.

The clearest path to a correction runs through the senior class. Paulo Mellizo, Sam Kaiser, and Karson Busch are the experienced returners the Plainsmen will depend on to generate offense and set the tone in competitive conference play. How that group responds after a difficult opener will be the most telling signal of Laramie's identity this season.

The next test comes quickly. Laramie travels to face Cheyenne South at 6 p.m. on April 7, a match that doubles as a chance to reset the record before more consequential conference games arrive. Campbell County draws the same opponent that week, hosting Cheyenne South at noon on Saturday, meaning both programs see the Bison before they can think about each other again.

Anyone who missed Friday's opener can catch a full replay on the NFHS Network, the official streaming partner of the Wyoming High School Activities Association and Campbell County High School.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE SEASON

Laramie's next match is a road trip to Cheyenne South on April 7 at 6 p.m. All home matches are played at Deti Stadium in Laramie. Three players to track through the spring: senior Paulo Mellizo, senior Sam Kaiser, and senior Karson Busch are the returning contributors who will carry the Plainsmen's bid to snap a three-game losing streak against the Camels and compete in the Class 4A East Conference standings.