Boys high school soccer playoffs: Previewing the 4A-6A semifinal round
The quarterfinal matchups in the Arizona Interscholastic Association boys' high school soccer playoffs wrapped up Saturday, setting up semifinal games on Tuesday for the 4A through 6A conferneces. Winners will advance to championship matches later this week.
Here's a preview of the next round on Tuesday, with bracket seedings, game times and neutral site locations noted:
6A semifinals
No. 5 Perry at No. 1 Tucson (6:30 p.m., Marana Mountain View High School)
Tucson comes into the match as the favorite, as the Badgers have only lost one game this season and have been ranked No. 1 in 6A, according to AIA. The loss came to No. 4 Sunnyside, which is the team Perry beat to get to the semifinals. Perry pulled off a 2-1 win over the Blue Devils in the second round and is looking for another tournament upset. However, Tucson comes into the game riding a five-game winning streak according to AIA records, having scored at least three goals a game during the streak. But if Perry can keep the Tucson attack contained, they will have a good shot at reaching the championship game on Saturday.
No. 3 Brophy at No. 2 San Luis (6 p.m., Buckeye Union High School)
This is a rematch of the 2021 6A Championship game, where Brophy beat San Luis on penalty kicks 3-2 to bring home the title as 6A Champions. In the 2022 season, neither team made it to the semifinals. Brophy was eliminated in the first round by Pinnacle on penalties, and San Luis was defeated by Hamilton in the second round. But this season, one of the two teams will return back to the championship game. San Luis, from the small border community south of Yuma, enters the game as the slight favorite, as the Sidewinders, ranked No. 2 in 6A, have yet to lose a game this season. But Brophy, ranked No. 3, is riding a nine-game winning streak and only lost one game in the regular season.
5A semifinals
No. 12 Kofa at No. 1 Ironwood (6 p.m., Mountain Ridge High School)
Yuma Kofa has been the Cinderella team of the tournament, knocking out No. 5 Lake Havasu on penalty kicks in the first round and upending No. 4 Campo Verde 2-1 in the second round. However, this will be the Kings' biggest test so far. Ironwood came into the tournament as the No. 1 seed and has played like it, dispatching No. 16 Mountain View Marana 6-0 in the first round and No. 9 Chaparral 5-0 in the second round. The Eagles enter the match undefeated in the regular season, according to the AIA, only drawing once. While this game on paper looks like a mismatch, Kofa carries in momentum after their first two tournament games.
No. 7 Casteel at No. 3 Horizon (6 p.m., Coronado High School)
Casteel is the two-time defending 5A boys soccer champion and has the experience to make another run at a title despite the No. 7 seeding. The Colts bested No. 10 Sunrise Mountain in overtime in the first round and upset No. 2 Verrado in the second round. Casteel has done it by stellar defending, as both of the victories were by a score of 1-0. However, it will be a challenge to keep the clean sheet streak against Horizon, a team that's scored three goals in both of their tournament games. After a close 3-2 victory against No. 14 Metro Tech in the first round, the Huskies defeated No. 11 Centennial in the second round 3-1. The game is a rematch of their 2022 5A second round match, in which Casteel prevailed.
4A semifinals
No. 4 AZ College Prep at No. 1 Salpointe Catholic (4:30 p.m., Marana Mountain View High School)
AZ College Prep, a Chandler district high school, has pulled out some close victories in the tournament, defeating No. 13 Mica Mountain 1-0 in the first round and No. 12 Dysart 2-1 in the second. While the Knights are on a seven-game winning streak, they are going to have their hands full with Salpointe Catholic. The Lancers are undefeated against 4A teams this season, only dropping one game in the regular season, which was a 3-2 defeat against top 6A seed Tucson. After that loss, Salpointe, the defending 4A champion, rattled off 11 straight wins while scoring a combined 72 goals and only conceding five. It's safe to say that Salpointe is one of the hottest teams in the state right now.
No. 3 Barry Goldwater at No. 2 Saguaro (4:30 p.m., Coronado High School)
This could be the closest of all boys semifinal matchups. Barry Goldwater enters the game undefeated, having only one draw. In their first-round match, the Bulldogs escaped a potential first-round upset against No. 14 Tucson Ampitheater by outscoring the Panthers 5-4. In their second-round game against No. 6 Bradshaw Mountain, the Bulldogs rebounded by defeating the Bears 6-0. Now, they'll take on their toughest challenge yet. Saguaro enters the matchup on a 12-game winning streak, according to the AIA, the second longest winning streak in the state. This game is a rematch from the 2022 4A playoffs, in which then-No. 8 seed Barry Goldwater shocked No. 1 Saguaro in the second round 1-0.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Boys high school soccer playoffs: Previewing the 4A-6A semifinal round
