South Dakota high school soccer state finals: What to watch for
The South Dakota state soccer championships kick off Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m at Tea Area high school. The team features plenty of No. 1 seeds hoping to hold their position but also some teams looking to finish out a strong playoff run.
Here's a guide to all the matchups:
No. 4 Sioux Falls Lincoln (12-2-1) vs. No. 6 Rapid City Stevens (12-2-1)
What: Class AA boys state championship final
When: 11 a.m.
Who to watch for: The Raiders are riding a strong stretch into the boys Class AA final. They’ve won nine straight, allowing just three goals in those nine games. They’ve scored three goals each playoff game while allowing only two, with Gabe Cox (13 on the season) and Ryan Gaughan (nine on the season) each scoring two goals apiece in their playoff run. But Sioux Falls Lincoln junior goalkeeper Henry Eckert has allowed just eight goals all season while the Patriots have a dangerous goal scorer in senior Simon Woods, too.
No. 1 Harrisburg (15-1-1) vs. No. 3 Aberdeen Central (13-1-1)
What: Class AA girls state championship final
When: 1 p.m.
Who to watch for: Harrisburg has been dominant this year, and Tigers junior Hailee Christensen may be the most dangerous offensive player in all of South Dakota. She’s shot on goal 75 times, putting 34 in the net and assisting on 17. Aberdeen Central has some players who will threaten to score, too, with junior Deshani Peters having scored 22 goals with 14 assists this year.
No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian (11-0-3) vs. No. 3 St. Thomas More (10-4)
What: Class A boys state championship final
When: 5 p.m.
Who to watch for: The still-undefeated Chargers have been strong this year, but not because of any one player. Though 18 players have scored a goal for them this year, 15 of those players have scored multiple. Junior Cameron Schock leads with nine and junior Elijah Anema has eight as freshman goalkeeper Dawson Unruh has allowed just three goals to get by all season. St. Thomas More have a mix of goal scorers on its team, too, (junior Trevor Erlandson, senior Jason Albertson and senior Will Green each have nine) but Tom Solano has scored 24 times with 70 shots on goal to lead the team.
No. 1 West Central (13-0-1) vs. No. 2 Tea Area (11-2-2)
What: Class A girls state championship final
When: 7 p.m.
Who to watch for: Both these teams advanced to the final through a balanced goal-scoring attack, but undefeated West Central has been so good in a large part due to senior goalkeeper Cambell Fischer. Fischer has allowed just two goals with 52 saves in 14 starts this year (12 shutouts) while Molli Thornton’s team-leading 10 goals have been enough to keep the Trojans ahead. Tea Area, however, has a lot of options on the offensive side. They’ve won a lot of low-scoring games this year, too, with senior Sydney Sherwood and junior Chloe Wilson each leading the team with seven goals, but every player who’s appeared in a game this year has scored at least twice.
Follow Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Michael McCleary on Twitter @mikejmccleary.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota high school soccer state finals: What to know
