By Official Florida FC
The road to DeLand is getting clearer by the day.
While all six reigning state champions are still alive to defend, or in the case of Bolles and St. Johns Country Day retain, their trophies there are handful of programs who have their path set on derailing the champions.
Here are three things to look out for ahead of Tuesday’s FHSAA regional soccer finals.
THE UNDEFEATED
St. Johns Country Day is the prohibitive favorite to win its 10th straight FHSAA championships. The Spartans (15-0) have outscored opponents 96-5 this season.
St. Johns throttled Tallahassee Maclay 7-0 in its season opener on Nov. 11. Maclay (10-6-1) will play the Spartans in Tuesday’s Region 1-2A final. St. Johns also beat the state’s No. 1 overall team St. Johns Bartram Trail in November.
Maclay was Tallahassee Chiles’ best win of the regular season. The Timberwolves (10-0-1) shutout the Marauders on Dec. 8 and Jan. 15.
Chiles has outscored opponents 38-3 this season. The Timberwolves eliminated previously unbeaten Niceville (16-1-1) in Friday’s Region 1-6A semifinal. The result marked the first time Niceville was shutout in its last 25 games.
Two other programs enter the regional final undefeated: South Walton (15-0-2) and Weston Cypress Bay (6-0).
South Walton travels to Jacksonville to face three-time reigning state champion Bolles. The Bulldogs blasted South Walton 7-0 in last year’s Region 1-3A semifinal. Bolles has not been the impregnable force it has been in recent years and South Walton — as evidenced by a victory over Class 4A regional finalist Panama City Beach Arnold and a result against Class 5A playoff opponent Lynn Haven Mosley — have improved.
In South Florida, Weston Cypress Bay did not kick off its season until mid-January. The Lightning travel to face a Miami Palmetto side that has returned to the regional final for the first time in 10 years. The Miami Herald reports Palmetto consistently plays nine freshmen, including forward Kyara Ormazabal and defender Andrea Nunez and goalie Sami Anes.
TITLE-WORTHY TILT
St. Johns Bartram Trail will once against host Oviedo in the Region 1-7A final. The Bears, despite conceding first, eliminated Oviedo 2-1 en route to the 2020 state championship.
This year’s encounter features two of the top three teams in the FHSAA’s final regular season standings. Bartram Trail (16-2) has allwoed 12 goals during a schedule that included five different programs that will play in Tuesday’s regional final.
Oviedo (15-1-1) is led by Valentina Amaral, who despite playing in goal for her club team Florida Krush and being a member of the USWNT U-17 Player Pool, has scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists.
SISTER ACT
Clermont East Ridge led the state with 127 goals scored this year. The Knights are one of only nine girls soccer programs to score more than 100 goals this year, and one of three remaining in the FHSAA playoffs.
East Ridge has been led by the Jackson sisters. Queens University signee Cydnie Jackson has 34 goals and 18 assists in 20 games. Freshman Cayla has 34 goals and 18 assists in 21 games.
For the first time all season, neither sister provided a goal or an assist for the Knights in Friday’s Region 2-7A semifinal win over Davenport Ridge Community.
Sophomore Alanis Melgar scored just her third goal of the season to help East Ridge (22-1-2) advance to the regional finals for the first time. The Knights will face Tampa Plant (17-1) in a Region 2-7A final.
Though both East Ridge and Plant have shown an ability to put the ball in the back of the net, don’t be surprised if the Region 2-7A final is a tight affair. Plant has allowed five goals in 18 games. Meanwhile, East Ridge has scored nine second-half goals in four district and regional playoff matches.
