Rampart's Dillon Clarke seizes super opportunity with Colorado Springs Switchbacks; Club gears up for first-ever match against Pittsburgh

Apr. 7—Dillon Clarke lives a life that's reminiscent of a superhero. He balances the extraordinary with the mundane.

Friday, the 16-year-old Clarke spent his morning hours at open practice with the Switchbacks, honing his craft alongside professional athletes like Colorado Springs veteran forward Aaron Wheeler as they celebrated midfielder Steven Echevarria's birthday. Then, he promptly headed to Rampart High School to catch his Algebra II and Spanish classes.

It's a schedule that would make Peter Parker and Clark Kent smile.

"Rampart has helped me a lot actually in coming up with a schedule, so basically I don't have two classes for my first two periods of the day and actually right now after training, I go to Rampart and then do all my four core classes. So I do two one day and then two another day," Clarke said.

The Rampart Junior signed a United Soccer League Academy contract with Colorado Springs, a move the club announced March 31. The contract allows Clarke to compete with the Switchbacks while maintaining his eligibility for the NCAA.

Clarke was with the team and listed on the roster in the Switchbacks' game against Loudoun United FC in Virginia April 1. He got his first start Wednesday and played all 120 minutes of Colorado Springs' Open Cup match against Windsor's Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. He had 41 touches during that match and a passing accuracy of 70%. He recorded a key pass or pass that led directly to a shot attempt that was not successful, and won two of three aerial duels.

With friends from Rampart and his club team — Pride Soccer's 06 ECNL boys — cheering him on in the cold April evening, it was a memorable moment for the young footballer despite Colorado Springs losing the match 3-1.

"It was a dream come true, all my friends were here from Rampart and club," Clarke said. "It was definitely something I've been working for and it was just super exciting to be in the moment but overall it was a great experience even though we didn't get the result we wanted."

Clarke has played for Pride Soccer since age three back in 2010 and has played with Rampart his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He scored five goals for the Rams in the fall.

The opportunity to play with the Switchbacks came as a result of a partnership between the local club and Pride soccer where local athletes train at Weidner Field on Tuesday evenings. At the beginning of the year, Clarke joined those sessions after healing from an ankle injury. He worked for it, Clarke said, and afterward the coaches invited him to get five training sessions with the team. He was then invited to join the team for the Loudoun game.

"I hurt my ankle in one of my club games so I was out for about two and half weeks, I missed training and then I finally got to come back and just wanted it," he said. "I definitely wanted this opportunity and just kept working for it. But I still gotta just keep working for it to develop."

Clarke could be available for selection again Saturday as Colorado Springs hosts Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in a first-ever matchup between the two sides.

A part of the USL Championship's Eastern Conference, Pittsburgh is currently the third-best team in the east with an unbeaten 1-0-3 record for six points. Colorado Springs is in fourth place in the league's Western Conference with a 2-1-1 record for seven points.

Riverhounds SC might have the fresher legs Saturday as the club hadn't played since March 28 prior to its Open Cup victory on Wednesday. By contrast Saturday's match will be the third for Colorado Springs in a week.

Switchbacks forward Deshane Beckord took a knee to the back of his knee in extra time of the club's match against Northern Colorado and was subbed out as a result. Saturday will tell whether he will be available for selection.

Beckford leads Colorado Springs in assists this season with three. While forward Romario Williams, defender Markhus 'Duke' Lacroix and midfielders Jairo Henriquez and Zach Zandi — who is out for the season — all have one goal apiece.

Pittsburgh forward Albert Dikwa leads Riverhounds SC in goals with three. Defenders Patrick Hogan and Arturo Ordonez as well as forward Tola Showunmi led in assists with one.

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